


A Solangelo story

by Fangirlfromhogwarts



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, Cute, Demigods, Friendship, Gay, Greece, Heroes of Olympus, LGBT, M/M, Romance, Rome - Freeform, Slash, Will Solace - Freeform, solangelo, willico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-04-10 03:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4376015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlfromhogwarts/pseuds/Fangirlfromhogwarts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starts where Nico's last point of view ended in Blood of Olympus. Will and Nico's relationship develops as they go on many adventures together. I hope you like it!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"What was that about?" Will asked when Nico was done talking to Percy.

"I was just um, congratulating Percy and Annabeth on college in New Rome," Nico said hesitantly. He was not about to tell Will what he was really talking about. Will was nice and all, but did he really need to know all of his deepest secrets?

Will raised his eyebrows dubiously, "I hope they didn't encourage you to run away to New Rome with them, because people like me and Jason need you here at Camp Half Blood."

"No, they didn't. Of course I'm staying. I already told you that, and Percy is not going to change my mind," Nico said as Will pulled him into a hug. For once, he didn't try to squirm away.

"You're always welcome here, Nico," Will said softly. Nico rolled his eyes but decided not to argue. "Let's get you to the infirmary. I need to make sure that you don't do any Underworld stuff until you're fully healed," Will said getting back to business. Nico nodded. He didn't think that he actually needed 3 days of sleep but he was looking forward to spending time with Will, even though he would never admit it.

Will brought Nico to the infirmary. Nico laid down on the hospital bed.

"Shirt off please!" Will ordered. Nico looked revolted. Will, of all people, wanted to see him shirtless, and he was in no condition to be seen.

"But why?! You said I needed rest and I can do that perfectly well with a shirt on!" Nico protested.

"Doctor's orders," Will smirked. "Reyna said that you had gotten some werewolf scratches. I need to see how they're healing." He did have a point, Nico thought. Reluctantly he took off his shirt and he noticed Will's eyes linger on his pale chest. He prayed no one he knew would walk into the room. That would just be too much, but as Will ran his fingers along his mostly healed scars, Nico couldn't help but want more.

For the rest of his time in the infirmary, Nico tried not to get caught to get caught staring at Will. He also noticed that Will spent a lot more time with him than the other patients. So much time that Nico couldn't help but develop a crush on him. Was it possible Will had a crush on him too? Nico shoved that thought back down. He already had his heart broken with Percy and he did not need it to happen with Will too. Besides he didn't even know if Will was gay or not. But he secretly hoped he was. Even though he was out to Percy, he still felt weird having crushes on other guys.

Will then came over and ran his fingers through Nicos hair. Nico blushed.

"You're going to play capture the flag tonight, right?" Will asked casually. Nico nodded and blushed even more. "Good. I hope we're on the same team. Just be careful not to over exert yourself." Will ruffled his hair and left to go check on another patient. Nico smiled to himself. He wasn't big on capture the flag, but he looked forward to it tonight.

"Hey Nico. Let's team up!" Will called out right before the game begun. Nico ran over.

"Yeah, the Hades cabin needs some allies." Will laughed and slapped him on the back. Chiron then blew the starting horn and, not wanting to get separated, they grabbed hands and ran into the forest. They ran aimlessly for a few minutes until they found a clearing. Will placed his hands on Nico's shoulders.

"So, offense or defense?" He asked.

"Capture the flag is not really my thing, to be honest," Nico mumbled, looking at the ground.

"Defense it is then!" Will declared and they walked over to guard the flag. There weren't many pursuers of the flag until the end of the game. There was so little action that Nico found himself staring into space and slipping away into the shadows. It was Will's shouts that brought him back to reality.

"Nico! Flag!" Nico cursed himself for not paying attention and saw Clarisse jump out of the bushes and take the flag. He took off after her, but she was fast.

"Will, a little help please," he called, but got no response. Where was Will when he needed him? Nico figured that his best option was to chase Clarisse towards the river, which was the boundary, and tag her, but she was getting away. Nico just isn't fast enough.

"Will! I need help!" He yelled. Just when Clarisse is about to cross the line and win, Will jumped out of a tree and tagged her out. At that same moment Jason and Piper ran across the line waving the opponent's flag. They had won.

Nico was not used to all the attention he and Will got for winning. The camp crowded around them cheering their names.

"We did it, Nico!" Will shouted. He pulled Nico into a big hug and surprisingly Nico didn't want to let go. Will grabbed Nico's hand and raised it above their heads. This is what being a victor feels like, Nico thought. Will waved the flag and the crowd cheered again. As the crowd dissipated Will pulled Nico close."Celebration continues in the Apollo cabin. You should come!"

"I don't know..." Nico replied. "I'm kind of tired." Nico also didn't want people to see them together and get the wrong idea, but he didn't say that.

"Aww, come on. You can sleep afterwards. You're coming. No ifs, ands, or buts. It's final," Will said. He would do anything to make Nico spend time with him. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he really did like Nico, he just wasn't sure if was as friends or something more. Nico followed Will back to the Apollo cabin.

"You know, this party seems like an Apollo thing. Maybe I'll just head back to the Hades cabin..." Nico trailed off, but Will wouldn't hear any of it.

"No. You're the guest of honor, you earned it by winning. Don't leave," Will snapped. He was slightly hurt by Nico's comment, but he didn't let it show. Reluctantly Nico followed Will inside. Nico had fun at the party, even though he awkwardly followed Will around for most of it. He did get to meet some of the other campers and Lou Ellen and Cecil were snuck in as well. Will however did not want Nico to leave his side. He wanted to make sure that he wouldn't leave and he wanted to introduce him to the right people. He also didn't want other people to check him out, but he wasn't going to tell Nico that.

After the party, Will walked Nico back to the Hades cabin. "Hey, I'm glad you came. We should hang out again sometime." Will said, stroking Nico's arm.

"Uh, y-yeah th-that would be n-nice," Nico stuttered. He cursed himself. Why couldn't he be smooth around guys he liked?

"Just the two of us though. Consider it bonding time," Will winked. Nico recoiled at this. Going to the party was fine, but bonding time?

"Why do you want to bond with me? Why would anyone want to bond with me?" He snapped. He knew he was being mean, but he didn't care.

"Gods, you're so dense. Maybe people just want to be your friend. Or something more," Will responded, immediately regretting adding the last part, but Nico didn't seem to notice.

Nico took a step back. "You want to be my friend?" He asked, skeptical. "I'm a son of Hades, most people don't like that."

"Yeah, I do. You just got to give people a chance. I know you had bad experiences in the past, but things are different now. You can trust people," Will ranted. Nico looked appalled. Was is possible that Will figured out his secret?

Will gave up.

"Let's just talk things over later. Lunch on the beach tomorrow?" Will said. Nico nodded. They both needed time to calm down. After a quick hug, where Nico blushed furiously, they both went back to their cabins and went to bed.

Nico was nervous. He didn't know what to expect. I wasn't a date, really, he wasn't sure that Will even liked guys. At 10 o'clock Will knocked on the door of the Hades cabin. When he answered it he was surprised to see Will blushing. Maybe he did like Nico in that way.

"Sorry, couldn't wait until lunch. Just wanted to see you sooner," Will said. It made Nico feel better that he wasn't the only nervous one.

"Yeah, me too. Let's go to the beach now," Nico said awkwardly. He still couldn't believe that Will actually wanted to be friends with him. They walked down to the lake and found an open bench away from the crowds. They sat down and Will draped an arm over Nico's shoulder. He pretended not to notice, but in the inside he was thrilled. They talked about camp life for a while, but things eventually became more personal.

"How was the quest?" Will asked.

"It was okay. The hardest part was facing Cupid," Nico hesitated. He immediately regretted brining Cupid up, Will was going to ask questions. And he was right.

"What happened with Cupid?" He asked. Nico couldn't think of a good excuse not to answer.

"He made me confess my secret love interest to Jason." He whispered, he had no intention of being overhead.

Will raised his eyebrows, "Well who was it?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm over him now."

"Him?" Will asked surprised, but without any hatred. Nico reluctantly nodded. Will leaned in and stroked his cheek. "Now I know I have a chance with you." Nico didn't know what Will's reaction was going to be, but he wasn't expecting this.

"So, you mean you're gay too?" He asked.

"Yeah. I am," Will confirmed. Nico rested his head on Will's shoulder.

"I'm glad to know that I'm not alone."

"Me too," Will whispered, running his fingers through Nico's long hair. They sat in comfortable silence until the lunch bell rang. As Will made his daily food sacrifices he asked for Apollo to come talk to him personally. He needed advice.

Apollo appeared almost immediately in Will's dreams that night. He was slightly delusional, like all the gods were, but Will was desperate.

"I have guy problems," Will finally said when he had his father's full attention.

"Is it Nico?" He sighed. Will nodded. "You know I'm not good with mortal dudes. You saw what happened with Hyacinthus."

"Yeah, I like him and I think he likes me. I just don't know if I should make a move or not," Will said. This was awkward. He was starting to second guess his idea to ask his dad for dating advice.

Apollo thought for a moment, "If you want something to happen, you're going to have to initiate it. Nico just doesn't have the confidence to ask you himself."

"But should I?" He asked. Will was not getting the straight answer he was hoping for.

"Should you? That is up to you, but he'll probably say yes if you do," Apollo said. He gave all the advice he had. He figured Will would be fine. Will barely had time to say thanks before his father left.

Will cornered Nico after breakfast the next morning. He decided to follow his father's advice and just go for it.

"Hey," Will said. This was going to be harder than he thought it would be. "Do you want to, you know, leave camp, like, tomorrow evening, go to the city, like, on a um, date with me?" He flashed a blinding smile, hoping it would make up for how nervous and unprepared he sounded. Nico blushed and looked away, the smile was too much. He was elated, but he didn't want to sound desperate, and tried to play it cool.

"Um, yeah I do," he said, for the first time ever his voice sounded cheerful. Will was instantly relieved, and he hugged Nico.

"I'll pick you up at 5:30," he whispered. Will grabbed Nico's fingertips and held them between his palms. He was glad the breakfast hall was empty, though it would have been romantic, he wouldn't have had the courage to ask him out of he had an audience. Nico was surprised at Will's little stunt, but he couldn't have been happier. Coming from the 1940s, it wasn't exactly common practice for guys to ask other guys out. Maybe it was a good thing that times were changing, he thought.

Nico leaned in close, "Can't wait," he whispered.

"Me neither." Will glanced at his watch, "I have to get to archery now. See you later!" He gave Nico a quick peck on the cheek before running off.

Nico knocked on the door of the Zeus cabin. "Come in," Jason called. Nico pushed the door open and stepped inside. When Jason saw Nico he got up off his bed and gave Nico a platonic hug.

"Hey man, what's up?" He asked, giving off the vibe that Nico longed to have.

"I need advice," Nico responded, "I uh, have a date tomorrow." Jason's face lit up.

"Let me guess! Will Solace?"

Nico nodded, "How did you know?"

"Come on, you guys hang out constantly. Anyone could have guessed." Nico jerked to attention.

"Really? How obvious is it? Does anyone else know that we're um, gay?" Jason hesitated. He would have thought that Nico would have come to terms with his sexuality by now. Apparently not.

"Well, Piper has probably figured it out, but I would suggest you talk to her yourself," Jason said, leaning back in his chair.

"Well if it's that obvious, maybe I should reconsider our date then. It's not like I want the whole camp to know," Nico huffed.

Jason's voice softened, "No, don't do that. Times are changing. People will accept you. Will knows this, and he's not afraid to like to like you," Nico looked at him skeptically, the but he kept talking. "Homosexuality is not a crime, Nico. It's part of who you are. You need to learn to embrace it. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to Will not to." Jason rested a hand on Nico's shoulder.

"Thanks for the advice," Nico said before leaving. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to up his flirting game and show Will that he really did like him. Will decided to skip his archery lesson that day, as a son of Apollo he didn't really need them anyway. Instead he had a date to plan. He called Piper over from her cabin, of all the Aphrodite children she was the most likely to understand what Will wanted to do for Nico.

"I have a date tomorrow night in New York City. Except I don't really know what to do," Will said. "I don't think my date would want it to be too romantic though," He added knowing what a daughter of Aphrodite could pull off. Piper though for a moment.

"I know a good French restaurant, it's formal but not too fancy. And then maybe some ice skating?" She suggested. Will shook his head. There was no way Nico would be okay with ice skating with him in public.

"The dinner sounds good but I think we'll just walk around Central Park afterwards," Will said. They discussed the logistics some more until Piper asked,

"Who is your date anyway?" Will froze. He knew this was coming. While he personally didn't have a problem with Piper knowing, he knew Nico probably would.

"Is it Nico?" She asked. Will hesitantly nodded.

"Aww, you two are perfect together and that's coming from a child of Aphrodite. I totally support you," she said. Will was relieved, he was glad the first time he came out to someone he got a positive reaction. It felt good knowing he had support.

2 days of causal flirting later, Will showed up 15 minutes early to pick up Nico. "Oh, hey. You're early. Sorry I'm not ready yet. Let me change," Nico said when he answered the door, gesturing to his jeans and t-shirt.

"Well okay then. Mind if I stay?" Will smirked. He sat down on Nico's bed and made himself at home. Nico awkwardly took off his shirt and grabbed the dress shirt Jason lent him.

"Hey, come here," Will winked. When Nico pretended not to hear him, he got up, walked over to him, and put his hands on Nico's bare chest. "Don't think for a second that I don't like you in that way. I have had feelings for you since our hands touched on the battlefield. I hope you feel the same way," Will whispered, leaning in close.

"I feel that way about you too," Nico stammered, flushing. Will held Nico's hand as they left camp and waited for the taxi. The gesture was unfamiliar to Nico, but he liked it.

"You okay?" Will whispered.

"I'm fine," Nico replied and he gave Will's hand a squeeze. He liked how stable Will was; he wasn't about to fade away at a moments notice.

"Piper recommend a French restaurant and I was thinking of a walk in Central Park afterwards," Will said.

"Thanks for arranging this," Nico said just as the taxi arrived. They got into the back of the car and held hands. They told the driver where they were going, but they rode in comfortable silence. They didn't want the driver to know every detail of their private lives.

When Nico stepped out of the cab he was in awe. He had been to New York City before, but he never realized how huge it was. He saw the Empire State Building, where he once visited Mt. Olympus, and the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance. All the attractions and activity around him made him feel small and insignificant. He grabbed Will's arm for emotional support and they walked into the restaurant. Even though the big city overwhelmed him, he couldn't wait to see Central Park later.

"We have a reservation for 2 under the name Will Solace at 6:00," Will told the hostess.

"Of course, right this way," she said, leading them away from the entrance.

"Is it a date? We do have some quieter, more secluded tables in the back, if you want some more privacy." Nico was surprised by this, the hostess seemed okay with the fact that they were together, but Will didn't bat an eyelash.

"Yeah, we're on a date and a table in the back would be great," Will said awkwardly. The hostess sat them down.

"Ok, great! Have a good one," she winked and walked off.

"That was strange," Nico said to himself.

"What was?" Will asked staring right into his eyes. Nico was startled. He didn't expect Will to hear him.

"Nothing. It wasn't you. It was just that the waitress didn't seem to be prejudiced against us, because we're two guys on a date. It even seemed like she supported us..." Nico trailed off.

Will laughed. "Nico, It's okay that we're dating. New York is a progressive place. Most people here will support us. Stop worrying, it's not good for you," Will said smiling. For good measure he added, "Doctor's orders." Which caused Nico to bury his face in his hands.

"You mean a lot to me. Just wanted to tell you that," Nico said and for the first time ever, he initiated physical contact. He placed his hand on top of Will's and he smiled in response. They had a good dinner. It wasn't particularly romantic, but they both enjoyed it.

"Are you ready to go to Central Park?" Will asked. Nico nodded, he was looking forward to some quality time with Will.

They left the restaurant and walked through the archway welcoming them to the park. Instead of holding hands, Will wrapped his arm around Nico's waist. In response, Nico did something he would think was a dream later. He kissed Will on the cheek, not caring who saw. Will was surprised by this, but he liked having Nico show affection for once.

"I like it here," Nico said after a while, gesturing to the park and city in general. "I don't feel like I have to be so...closeted."

"I'm telling you people will accept us," Will said, smiling. Nico rolled his eyes, even though he knew Will was right. Will brought Nico to his favorite place in the park. It was a secluded area where children would sometimes feed the ducks during the day. The sun was setting an Nico noticed Will was getting tired.

"Let's go rest on that bench over there" he suggested. Will, who was strictly a morning person, obliged.

"This is a beautiful spot," Nico commented, referring to the sunset. Will nodded in agreement. They sat in silence for a while, looking into each other's eyes.

Suddenly Will couldn't take it anymore. He needed to satisfy his longing for Nico. He checked that no one was watching and pressed their lips together. The best part was that Nico was kissing him back. Nico's first kiss was soft, short, and sweet. It wasn't over-the-top mushy, but it was more than just a peck. He was slightly startled when Will kissed him, but he found the experience enjoyable.

"That was nice," Nico said, pulling away. He then went in for another, this one a little deeper than the first.

"Was that your first kiss with a guy?" Nico asked.

"It was my first kiss with anyone. I wanted it to be with the right person. You know, you're really special to me," Will said as he kissed Nico again.

After their date, Will walked Nico back to the Hades cabin. When they were in front of the door, he grabbed both of Nico's hands, pulled him close and kissed him.

"It's official, we're boyfriends now!" Will squealed.

"Good. Maybe another date soon?" Nico said. He had never felt more comfortable with his sexuality. This statement earned him another kiss. He could hardly believe it. His first kiss was barely an hour ago, and now he couldn't stop.

"Goodnight Will. See you tomorrow," Nico yawned. He went inside and fell asleep thinking about Will. He couldn't wait to see him again.


	2. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico, Will, and some other people from camp decide to visit New Rome.

After breakfast Piper went to the Hades cabin to talk to Nico. Surprisingly, the door was open, and she invited herself in. For once Nico looked happy to see her, and he wasn't sulking. Will must have done something, she thought.

"So, how was the date?" She asked casually, plopping herself on the bed next to where Nico was sitting.

"What date?" Nico said playing it stupid.

"You're date with Will. You know what I'm talking about," she said, not taking any of Nico's shit. Nico sat up straight. He did not want to talk about his private life right now.

"How did you know? Did Jason tell you my secret, when I specially told him not to?" He demanded. Piper looked slightly surprised by his outburst, but she understood the intent behind it. It did sound like she was forcing him out of the closet. But she laughed to show that she supported him.

"Relax Nico. Will asked me to help plan your date. He said he needed a little Aphrodite charm. I just want to know how it went," she said. Nico released a little bit of an tension in his shoulders.

"It was fine," Nico said.

"Like, fine as in great, or fine as in you're better off as friends?" Piper clarified. Nico tilted his head and looked her in the eye.

"So, you're, like, okay with it? You know, two guys dating," Nico said sharply.

Piper softened. "Nico, you can date anyone you want, as long as they make you happy. Even though I'm not the typical daughter of Aphrodite, I know that you and Will are a match made in heaven," Piper said giving him a friendly hug.

"So how was your date?" She asked again.

"It was great. Thanks for planning it," Nico answered honestly this time.

"No problem. If you ever need anything or if Jason gives you a hard time, just know that I'm here for you," she said.

"Thanks, I have to go find Will now. See you later," Nico smiled and walked away. Nico was on his way to the infirmary until he heard Jason call his name.

"Hey Nico! What's up?" Jason ran up beside him.

"I don't know, not much," he sighed.

"Are you going on the New Rome trip this weekend. We're planning on reuniting the seven, except for Leo..." Jason said. A dark cloud immediately dropped over them. Both Nico and Jason could feel the tension in the air. Nico didn't what to say. He knew Leo moderately well, but it was nothing compared to losing your best friend. Luckily, Jason came to the rescue.

"Anyways, you should come. You were a huge part of the quest and deserve to be part of our reunion," Jason said, he really wasn't in the mood to discuss Leo right now.

"I don't know," he said. "I have stuff to do at camp."

"Come on, just take a weekend getaway. It will be fun."

"Whatever, if you really want me there," Nico said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes! Can't wait. You can invite Will," Jason suggested. His eyes went wide like he just remembered something.

"How was your date?" He asked excitedly. Nico blushed and twisted his skull ring.

"It was good. We're together now." Jason's jaw dropped. These were the words he has been waiting to hear since the battle with Gaea.

"Well, did you, you know..." Jason wriggled his eyebrows and made an obscene gesture.

"No, we didn't, you perv. It didn't go any further than kissing," Nico said. "If we going to continue this conversation, we are going to go somewhere else." They walked away from the main pavilion.

"You kissed?! I'm so happy for you!" Jason squealed, he was elated. "Will has to come to Rome with us. Go invite him right now." He shoved Nico in the direction of the infirmary and watched from a distance. He was glad his friend had finally found someone.

Nico found Will analyzing some test results in the back of the infirmary by himself.

"Hey... Will," he said wrapping his arms around the son of Apollo's neck. This was something he never would have done if others were watching.

"Hey, Death Boy," Will responded, which earned him a playful slap in the arm.

"So, will you be able to take time off work this weekend?" Nico said before planting a kiss on his neck. Will turned around.

"If it's important," he winked.

"Well, me, Jason, and the other members of the quest are going to New Rome this weekend and it would be great if you could come with me, you know, as my boyfriend," Nico said.

"Yeah, that sounds great," Will whispered and he pulled him close. Soon they were making out and Nico caught Jason peeping in through the window. He was smiling and clapping softly. Nico was pissed. He liked having Jason as a friend, but he did not need him following him around all the time, especially during personal moments like these. Nico drew his head back and flipped Jason off behind Will's back.

"You stalker," he mouthed. Jason quickly realized him presence wasn't welcome and he left. "So you think you can come?" Nico said, turning back to Will.

"I'll be there," Will promised. "I want to introduce you me to Hazel and Reyna. You met them before, but I want you to know them for real. Can't wait," he whispered as he kissed Nico again.

The next day Nico slept through breakfast and was in a pretty bad mood when he missed his chance to see Will before he had to work.

"Yo, Nico!" Percy called. Waving him over to his and Annabeth's lunch table. Nico knew that he was going to pester him about Will, but really how bad could it be? Now that he was out, his secret didn't seem so embarrassing or shameful anymore. Besides Will was taking the lunch shift in the infirmary today, and he didn't have anyone to sit with. He casually walked over and sat down.

"Are you going on the New Rome trip?" Percy asked. As usual, he was a little late to the game.

"Yeah, Jason told me about it yesterday. I'm going with Will," Nico said. He added the last part to show Percy that he actually had a social life and didn't sulk in his room all the time.

"Oh, I'll see you there," Percy said, "So, like, what is going on between you and Will? I noticed you have been hanging around with him a lot lately,"

Nico shrugged like it was no big deal, "Yeah, we're dating." Percy raised his eyebrows.

"So about that, you said I'm not your type. What does he have that I don't have?" Percy asked. Nico rolled his eyes, he made it very clear to Percy that he was over him. Annabeth slapped him on the arm. She always wondered how her boyfriend got away with being so rude.

"I told you not to ask him about this. Despite how egotistical you are, not everybody finds you attractive," she hissed.

"For starters, he's gay, which means I actually have a chance with him," Nico said. He was surprised Percy hadn't figured this out earlier.

"Okay, you got a point there. What else? Is it because he's blond, because-" Percy rambled before getting cut off.

"You may be the most powerful demigod I ever met, and I've met a lot of demigods, but you are not the center of the universe and while I think you're cute, I don't like you in that way anymore," Nico explained.

"Anything else that sets him apart?" Percy was not done yet, he needed to know why Nico wasn't into him.

"Well, Will is also the head of the infirmary, which means he's super smart," Nico continued.

"And I'm not?" Percy protested.

"Annabeth calls you Seaweed Brain for a reason," Nico laughed and gave Annabeth a high five. Percy gave up.

"Okay, I get it. You like Will more than me. But for real, I'm happy for you guys," Percy said, giving Nico a pat on the back as they got up to get their food.

Two days later, Nico, Will, and the rest of the people going on the New Rome loaded on to the charter buses. Even though the buses were modified by the Hephaestus cabin to go faster, it would still take 2 days to get to San Francisco. Nico boarded the bus and sat down in the back, behind Jason and next to Will.

"Hey, Death Boy," Will said, wrapping his arm around Nico's waist. He grimaced at the pet name, but decided not to say anything. He knew that if he made a big deal about it, Jason and Percy would make sure to call him it at every available opportunity. Nico snuggled into Will's shoulder. He felt safe, comfortable, and protected, the things he wanted most in a partner. He had a rocky past, and he needed stability in his life. Luckily, Will met all of his needs.

"They are the true Camp Half-Blood power couple," Jason whispered to Piper, loud enough for Nico to hear.

"They are so cute together," Piper cooed.

"Aww, Nico looks like he's about to fall asleep in Will's lap."

"I'm not sleeping!" Nico snapped, sitting upright.

"Nico, it's okay. You need sleep. It's no secret that you were shadow traveling last night," Will said. Nico mumbled something about helping Hades in the Underworld, but Will keeps on talking. "You're deathly pale, colder than normal, and have bags under your eyes. You need sleep."

"It's 10 a.m. I'm fine," Nico protested. He found this embarrassing. His boyfriend was giving him medical advice in front of his friends, who were much cooler than him. "Doctor's orders," Will said, finding Nico 's weak spot. Nico eventually gave in and fell asleep to Will running his fingers through his hair.

A few hours later, the buses pulled up in front of a KFC in Ohio.

"We're going to stop here for lunch. Don't leave the premises and be back on the bus in an hour," Chiron announced. The campers filed off the bus and it took about 2 seconds for Nico to realize something wasn't right.

"Will. Come on. There's an Underworld presence here. It's not a good one either," Nico said tensely. "Let's go. We need to stop it. Grab your bow." Will had no intention of battling some creepy Underworld spirit, but he knew that Nico would overexert himself by summoning ghosts and zombies if he was not supervised. He ran up to Jason and patted him on the shoulder.

"Get me and Nico each a chicken wing combo with Diet Coke. I'll pay you back later," he said before hurrying to catch up with Nico who was already walking away.

"So what's up?" Will asked. He wanted to know what he was getting into.

"There is an Underworld spirit around here. It probably just wants me to do a favor for my father. I want you to help me in case things turn nasty."

"You know I'm horrible at combat," Will complained. He had a bad feeling about this; Underworld spirits rarely played nice.

"No, you're not. I saw you in the battle, you're a good strategist," Nico snapped. He didn't have time to argue. He knew Will would do fine, even if he could benefit from a sword fighting lesson. Nico stopped in his tracks. He saw what was casting the deathly aura. A tall woman dressed in half-black and half-white stood in a parking lot a few blocks away from the KFC and she didn't look happy. Ignoring Will's protests, Nico walked right up to her. Will reluctantly followed.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Nico demanded.

"Nico, be nice. You don't want to make a bad impression on her," Will hissed.

"Ah, Nico, son of Hades, I am Melinoë. I am a goddess of fear and I preside over the ghosts. But that is not why I'm here today. For weeks I have been roaming the Earth, tormenting mortals, waiting for you," she said regally.

"Just get to the point," Nico scoffed.

"Your friend is right, you don't want to make a bad first impression on me. But right now I'm playing nice because Hades wants you to do him a favor. He wants you to clear some rogue spirits out of the Fields of Asphodel and back into Tartarus," Melinoë said delicately. Nico was outraged.

"I'm done doing his dirty work. If it's too trivial for him to do himself, he should just have one of his servants do it. Why are you even here? I'm sure my father has messengers!"

"Hades, well, he's disappointed in me. Demios had been doing a better job at my job lately. You could say I'm being... Punished."

Nico drew his sword. A second later he realized his mistake. Melinoë dropped her act of playing nice and raised her sword as well. He now knew why she was the goddess of fear. Nico was terrified. Will took a step back.

"Nico," he said desperately. Melinoë's sword was pointed at his boyfriend's chest.

"Just try not to do any Underworld stuff. You don't have the strength," he warned. Nico nodded. He stopped Melinoë's first attack, but he wasn't so lucky for the next one. She charged towards his neck and he barely jumped away in time. He felt blood soaking through his shirt and saw that she grazed his shoulder. Will watched in horror. Melinoë's powers were in full effect. She was calling out insults and getting dangerously close to Nico's vital organs. She was moving too fast for Nico to get any attacks in. Nico managed to dodge or stop most of hers, but her fear vibe was making it hard for him to think straight, a skill crucial for battle. He had gashes all over his arms and torso and he knew he couldn't win by sword play.

"Will, I have too. Make sure I don't fade away," he gasped. Nico didn't wait for Will's response. He was going to do it anyway. A pit opened up beneath the goddess's feet. Even Will, a son of Apollo, knew that it was a drop into Tartarus. It reeked of death and cries of suffering could be heard from miles away. But Melinoë jumped to the side and Nico didn't have the strength to make it any bigger.

"Will. Help," Nico said. Will ran to him and pulled his medical tape out of his mini first aid kit.

"No, your bow," he said. Will got the message. He nocked his bow and pointed it towards Melinoë. She quickly noticed that Nico wasn't her only threat and lunged at Will. Will waited for the perfect moment, when she was standing in front of the pit, and released the string. The arrow sailed through the air and struck her in the chest. She didn't die because she was an immortal goddess, but she lost he footing and fell backwards into Tartarus. Nico closed the pit and sat down, exhausted.

"Gods, I'm a horrible person. I sent a freaking goddess to the Underworld. I know it's her domain, but Tartarus. Really?" He ranted. Will clasped a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

"Nico, you did what you had to do. We don't want that creepy lady to stay around scaring people. Right now, I need to fix your injuries," Will said. He gave Nico some ambrosia and started to bandage his cuts. Nico enjoyed his tender touch and relaxed.

"Come on. We should get back to the bus soon. I asked Jason to get us some chicken wings and hopefully we won't have to fight anymore battles. And when I say no more Underworld stuff, I mean it!" Will lectured.

The rest of the bus ride to Camp Jupiter was relatively uneventful. They did run into some venti in Missouri, but Jason took care of them. They (everyone except Nico) sang camp songs, until they pulled into a hotel in northwest Kansas.

"We're here! Halfway to Rome!" Percy whooped. He gave Annabeth a peck on the lips and whispered,

"Let's room together." He winked twice and Nico turned away. He was not a fan of public affection and had no intention of knowing the details of what Percy and Annabeth did while they were alone.

"Attention! There will be four and only four people to each hotel room. Lights out by 11:00 p.m. and be back on the bus by 8:30 tomorrow morning. The hotel will be serving a complimentary breakfast starting at 6. Dismissed!" Chiron announced. Chaos immediately broke out among the campers as they organized their rooming arrangements with their friends. Nico turned towards Will.

"We're together right?" He asked. Because being a loner was not an option, being with his boyfriend was the next best choice. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to sleep in the same bed as him yet, even if they didn't plan on having sex.

"Of course. We still need two other people though. It's too bad Lou Ellen and Cecil didn't come," Will said. They nervously looked around for people who would meet their criteria. These people needed to be 1. Okay with them being gay, and preferably someone who they were already out to and 2. Someone who actually planned on sleeping.

"Maybe if we don't find anyone to room with, Chiron will let us have our own room," Will suggested, but Jason quickly crushed his dreams of spending a night alone with Nico.

"Hey, Nico! Will! Do you have a group yet? Come join me and Piper!" Jason called.

"Why aren't you with Percy?" Nico asked rudely. Jason was one of his best friends, but he really wasn't in the mood for him to make a big deal out of their relationship. Jason hesitated.

"Ah, well, Percy and Annabeth somehow convinced Chiron to let them have a room to themselves because they're senior counselors, or something like that," he said.

"So, it's okay that we room you?" Piper asked. "Don't worry I'm not charm speaking," she added when she saw Nico's skeptical expression.

"Yeah, that would be okay, I guess," Nico said. "Oh, this is going to be great! We'll stay up all night, throw a party, and watch movies. It will be so much fun!" Jason said excitedly.

"On second thought, maybe you should convince Chiron to let you stay with Percy and Annabeth," Nico said. Everyone laughed and they brought their stuff to the hotel room Chiron assigned them.

"A deluxe suite for the head counselors," he said handing them a room key.

"I'll get dinner!" Piper declared, not trusting her friends to arrange a meal with nutritional value. Jason, Nico, and Will walked into the lobby and went up the elevator.

"Woah, this place is huge!" Will exclaimed as he stepped into their penthouse suite. There was a huge flat-screen TV, which Jason immediately planted himself in front of, a fancy kitchen, and floor-to-ceiling windows that looked over the small Kansas town. There were also only two beds.

"I'll sleep on the couch," Nico announced. Will looked hurt and dropped Nico's hand, which he didn't even realize he was holding. The gesture felt so familiar now.

"Nico," Will sighed. "It's bad for your back to sleep on a couch. Just sleep in the bed with me. Piper and Jason will be in the same room, so it's not like we'll do anything…" Jason was to absorbed in the football game on TV to listen to their conversation, which Nico was grateful for. He really didn't need Jason's cheery attitude right now.

"If you insist…" Nico said. "Let's put our stuff away." They walked into the bedroom and placed their duffle bags by the window. Nico flopped down on to their bed and Will followed suit. Will rolled over, so he could face Nico.

"Hey, Death Boy," he said and flashed his signature smile.

Nico gritted his teeth, "Do not call me that." Will ignored him and planted a kiss on his lips. They laid there, making out, for a few more minutes until they heard the hotel room door bang open.

"I'm back! I got Chinese takeout," Piper announced. Jason quickly turned off the TV and got up to give his girlfriend a kiss. Will and Nico got off the bed and went into the dining room/kitchen, their clothes a little more rumpled than usual. They ate dinner and discussed their plans for their weekend in New Rome.

After dinner they all squished on to the couch to watch a movie. "Hey, let's watch Hercules! It's about demigods," Jason said, scrolling through Netflix.

"Yeah, sure. I'm a huge fan of how they portray Apollo, though," Will said, coming back from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn. Piper nodded in agreement.

"The movies never get anything right. Trust me. I know from experience." Nico sat in silence, his arm wrapped around Will's waist. He wasn't that familiar with pop culture. Jason pressed play and turned off the lights. The first scene opened up with the Fates singing. It took exactly three seconds for Jason to comment on it.

"You know, I would actually be okay with battling the Fates if they broke out in song…" he said loudly. Piper shushed him and he held his arms up innocently. "Just saying."

A few minutes later Jason spoke again. "Woah, is that Mt. Olympus? The people who made this movie obviously don't know what Greek architecture is," he said. This time he got an angry glance from Nico as well as Piper.

"Shut up!" She said slapping him on the arm.

"I have never seen this movie and would appreciate it if you could be quiet," Nico added.

"Next time you talk you're leaving," Piper declared. Jason shut up for the time being.

"Gods, is that Hades?!" Nico asked, appalled. "Why is his hair on fire? The people who made were clearly not demigods." Will gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Welcome to the world of Disney getting everything wrong." They watched the rest of the movie in silence.

"I'm tired," Nico yawned.

"Let's go then," Will said grabbing his hand walking him to the bedroom. Nico laid down as Jason and Piper walked into the room.

"We're going to go to bed now. It's kinda late. Don't worry we're not going to do anything to intimate with you guys here," Jason said as if his intentions weren't obvious. "I need to get to the workout room early with Percy tomorrow." The rest of the people in the room rolled their eyes.

Will got into bed and pulled Nico close. He brushed Nico's hair out of his eyes and slid his other hand up his shirt. Nico pulled away slightly, not used to people touching him in this way.

"Just the shirt?" Will winked. "We're under the blanket anyways." Nico nodded and Will pulled his shirt over his head. It looked like Jason and Piper were doing the same thing on the other side of the room. Will kissed his neck and stroked his chest. Pretty soon his shirt was off to. They kissed and touched for a few more minutes until they looked at the time. It was almost midnight.

"Will, I'm tired now," Nico whispered, his eyes drooping.

"You mean the world to me," Will said as he gave one more kiss, which caused Nico to blush furiously. They held hands and went to sleep. The next morning Nico woke to Will shaking him awake.

"Hey, Death Boy. Wake up. You're late. You missed breakfast," he said irritably.

"Why are you a morning person?" Nico grumbled, rolling over away from Will's morning vibe.

"I'm a son of Apollo. What did you expect?" He smirked. Nico looked at the time. It was 8:00. The bus was supposed to leave in half an hour. Nico quickly got out of bed and pulled on a shirt. Jason and Piper had already left. He hurriedly packed up his stuff and he and Will left the hotel with five minutes to spare. They boarded the bus and sat in the back with the Jason and the rest of their friends.

"You're lucky I packed you a healthy breakfast. We're not going to be stopping for lunch for a while," Will said handing Nico a bag of food. Nico ate his meal and they were off on their way to Rome.

Several hours later the scenery changed from rolling fields of corn to the San Francisco Bay.

"Wow, it's beautiful," Will gasped. "I can't wait to meet all your Roman friends!" Nico agreed with him. He couldn't wait to get to camp either. He was getting tired of riding the bus when he could have shadow traveled there in half the time.

Finally the bus pulled into the Camp Jupiter parking lot. They were in Rome at last.


	3. (New) Roman Holiday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Nico have fun in New Rome.

Reyna stepped up to the podium, when all the Greek campers loaded off the bus and into the dining hall.

"Welcome Camp Half-Blood. Though we were driven apart for centuries, it is an honor that you came to visit us today," she said clearly. A few Romans booed at this, but she ignored them and kept talking. "This trip symbolizes the start of a new era. An era of unity, where every demigod is welcome at Camp Jupiter."

"Is she always that stiff and professional?" Will whispered.

"Yeah, pretty much. She gets better once you get to know her," Nico responded.

"Let the feast begin!" Reyna clapped her hands and the wind nymphs zoomed around distributing food. Reyna, Hazel, and Frank joined the Nico, Will, and the rest of the Seven at their table.

"Hi Nico. How are things at camp?" Reyna asked.

"I've been good," Nico said, squeezing Will's hand under the table, which caused him to blush. "How have things been in New Rome?"

"Busy," she sighed. "I have to do a lot of work involving the aftermath of the battle. Even though Octavian is gone, not all of his supporters are." They joined in the group conversation and talked about camp life and teased Percy for eating blue food for the rest of the meal.

That evening, Nico and Will were walking along the boundary of New Rome, admiring the view of the San Francisco Bay. They were holding hands, but let go when they heard someone walking behind them. They weren't quite ready for random people in New Rome to know about their relationship. Nico sighed in relief when he saw it was only Reyna who walked up beside them.

"Hey, di Angelo. Really, how are things going?" Reyna asked. Her metal dogs, now repaired, circled around them. "I hope you're socializing and not fading away."

"No, for real, I'm great," Nico said casually. He figured that this was probably the best time to introduce Will. Reyna was going to find out sooner or later. At least they had privacy now. He glanced at Will and he nodded in approval. "This is Will. He's my um, boyfriend."

Reyna shook Will's hand. "I'm Reyna. Praetor of the Twelfth Legion. These are my dogs Aurum and Argentum," she said proudly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You guys have my full support and welcome to New Rome."

"Um, I'm Will Solace. And uh, I'm the head counselor of the Apollo cabin at Camp Half-Blood. Also I'm a medic," Will said not expecting a formal introduction. "Thanks for the support."

"No problem, I'm here if either of you need anything," she said. "I have to go welcome the other people from your camp now, but I'll see you around." With this final statement she and her dogs walked back towards the main part of camp.

Nico walked Will back to the honorary Apollo cabin. The Romans were willing to share their cabins for a few days, and Nico hoped that Hazel didn't decide to partition Pluto's cabin too. They walked away from the other campers, and went behind the cabin, where they could have some privacy.

"Hey, Nico," Will said, smiling and pulling him close. Nico quickly leaned in and pressed their lips together. "This trip is going to be so much fun!" Will said, pulling back for air.

"Yeah, it will be," Nico said, wishing he could have come up with a better response.

"Hey, we should go on a date tomorrow night. I always wanted to explore San Francisco," Will suggested as he ran his fingers along the back of his boyfriend's neck.

"Sure. That would be good. Do you want to take a taxi again or should I call my zombie chauffeur," Nico whispered, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"No. I get enough of a death vibe from dating you. We're taking a cab," Will stated. As much as Will loved Nico, his Underworldly traits sometimes made him uneasy. The son of Apollo just couldn't bring himself to trust a zombie.

"Whatever," Nico said, "We're eating dinner with the rest of the camp though, or we could just explore New Rome." Will let out and exaggerated sigh.

"Let's go into the city," Will affirmed. "Reyna and Frank will probably give us a tour of Rome tomorrow." Nico nodded, as much as he wanted his date to be in New Rome, Will did have a point. He also wanted to see the Little Italy part of town. Will gave Nico another hug.

"Aww, Nico, you're so cold. Have you been shadow traveling again?" He said, concerned. Nico bit his lip and turned away, he had shadow traveled a few times, but he was not about to tell Will that. "Or have you spent too much time sulking in your dark cabin?"

"I don't sulk that much," Nico protested.

"Yeah, you do. Ask Piper, I'm sure she'll agree with me. Also, you probably have a vitamin D deficiency from spending so much time in your dark cabin," Will laughed. Nico was scowling, but he didn't care. All the stuff he said was true and he thought it was cute when Nico pretended to be mad.

"We are not going to talk about my health right now," Nico snapped.

Will gave him a quick kiss and said, "Fine, but you need more sun."

"Well, goodnight then," Nico said, pulling away, but Will leaned in close again.

"See you at breakfast," he said giving him one last kiss. Nico walked back to the Pluto cabin, that he shared with Hazel, which (thankfully) did not resemble a quarantine zone. He planned to tell her about his new life at Camp Half-Blood, but she was already fast asleep.

The next morning Will got up at the crack of dawn to go to the archery range. He grabbed a bow with an intricate Roman design that looked about the right size and pointed it at the target. He nocked an arrow and pulled the string back. This bow was heavier than the one he used at Camp Half-Blood, and when he released the arrow it fell to the ground, 5 feet short of the target. Will swore and was glad no one was watching. Though combat was not his forte, he didn't want his reputation as an archer to go from satisfactory to horrible. He shot 3 more rounds of arrows, getting better each time, in solitude until he heard the door to the range creak open.

"Oh, hello there!" The archer gasped, just as surprised to see Will as Will was to see him.

"Uh, hi. Sorry if I'm in your way. I was just getting some morning archery in," Will stuttered.

"No, you're fine," the man Will recognized as Frank Zhang said. "You know you're pretty good," he added, gesturing towards the target. Will was taken aback by this.

"I don't know about that. It might be a son of Apollo thing. I'm more of a healer though," he said. Frank's eyes widened.

"You're a son of Apollo? I was hoping I would be, but I'm a son of Mars instead. I'm Frank, by the way," he said formally introducing himself and he shook Will's hand.

"Hey, I'm Will," he said. "Do you do a lot of archery?"

"Yeah, it's my main weapon," he laughed. "Though,once my father gave me a spear the summoned some sort of zombie skeleton. It was not my favorite thing." Will laughed too.

"Sounds like something my boyfriend would do," he said without thinking.

Frank raised his eyebrows again. "Your boyfriend?" He asked curiously. Will regretted bringing the topic up. While he didn't care who knew about his sexuality, it would only bring awkward moments between Nico and Frank later.

"Yeah. He's a son of Hades, pretty into death, if you know what I mean..." Will said hoping Frank would change the subject.

"Yes, I do, actually. My girlfriend is a daughter of Pluto. Hazel, do you know her?" He responded. Will shook his head, he knew she was Nico's half-sister, but he never met her.

"Do you think you can give me some archery pointers? I might as well practice while I'm here," Will said turning back to the range.

"Yeah, it would help if you didn't arch your back, it's easier to aim," Frank suggested. Will stood a little straighter and he shot his first bullseye of the morning.

"Aw, thanks. You know, maybe I'll start doing archery more," he said. They shot a few more rounds rounds, giving each other tips and generally having a good time.

"Hey, I have to get to breakfast because I'm a praetor, but it was nice meeting you," Frank said, checking his watch.

"Oh, no problem, thanks for the advice," Will said. "I'll shoot another round and then meet you there."

"Okay," Frank said, walking away. He paused in his tracks. "Oh yeah, you and your boyfriend are always welcome in New Rome. I'm from Canada, so I generally have a more progressive view on life. Let know if anyone gives trouble."

"Thanks, I'll see you around."

"Bye." With this final word Frank left and went to breakfast. Will shot his final ground of arrows reviewing the conversation in his head. He found it hard to believe that he just came out to an almost complete stranger, but he felt a strange sense of accomplishment as well.

For the first time in his life, Nico woke up before his alarm. It must be the time change, he thought. The sun was barely peeking through the curtains and Hazel was rubbing her eyes awake.

"Good morning Nico," she yawned. She forced herself out of bed and sat down next to Nico on the couch.

"Good morning Hazel. How have things been at Camp Jupiter?" Nico asked.

"I've been great. I have been helping Frank and Reyna restore the legion to normal. We still have some loyalty problems," Hazel said.

"Oh, how's Frank doing?" Nico asked, keeping the conversation oriented toward Hazel. Though he loved his sister very much, she was still from the 30's and he didn't want open up about his personal life quite yet.

"Oh, we're having so much fun! Last week he took me to San Francisco for a date and we had the best cannoli," she said excitedly.

"That's good. How is he dealing with the extra workload?" Nico asked.

"He's doing such a good job as praetor. People are accepting his leadership much more easily than I expected, to be honest," she shrugged.

"What about you? How's Camp Half-Blood?"

"It's good," he said. "So you and Frank. Am I still going to be one of the groomsmen at your wedding?" He added, changing the subject.

"Yeah of course," she laughed. "If I can be the maid of honor at yours. Oh, by the way, are you dating anybody?"

"Umm..." Nico froze. "I think it's time for breakfast." Nico didn't know why he was having trouble telling Hazel about Will. He trusted his sister with his life, but he couldn't tell her about something as trivial as his boyfriend?

"Come on, we have 20 more minutes," she whined, interrupting his train of thought.

"I want to get there early," Nico lied as he left the cabin to go find Will. When he couldn't find him, he just went to the dining hall and waited outside.

"Hey Nico," Frank said, making Nico jump back in surprise.

"Oh, hi Frank," he said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he answered. "So, I met your boyfriend." Whatever Nico was expecting to hear, it wasn't this.

"You did?" He asked skeptically.

"Yeah, Will. I met him in the archery range this morning. He's pretty cool, a good archer too," Frank said casually, ignoring how stiff Nico was.

"Yeah, about that," Nico said awkwardly. "Do you know what Hazel's opinion on homosexuality is? I want to tell her about Will, but I'm not sure how she'll react, being from the 1930's and all."

"Nico, I'm sure she'll be fine," Frank said, softening. "She was a victim of discrimination too. You know that she's a nice person, and I think it would be better if you didn't hide things from her."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll introduce her to Will," Nico sighed.

"Good. She's your sister and she deserves to know." He said. "I have to manage the dining hall now, but good luck." Frank walked away just as Will walked into the pavilion.

"Hey, Death Boy," Will said giving Nico a quick kiss on the lips.

"Do not call me that," Nico said through gritted teeth.

"Whatever. But I think the name suits you," Will said playfully, ruffling his boyfriend's hair.

"You know what? We're not going to go over this right now. I actually want to talk to you about something," Nico said. He led him inside and chose a table away from other campers.

"You know, you're pretty energized considering how early in the morning it is," Will said, clasping his hands together. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"Well…," Nico said hesitantly. "I want you to meet my sister."

"That's great! I want to meet her too."

"The thing is, she doesn't know I'm gay. And since she's from the 1930's I'm not sure how she'll react," he said, choosing his words carefully.

"I think you should tell her," Will said. "It's better than her finding out the hard way."

"I tried to tell her this morning, but I kind of chickened out," Nico admitted, embarrassed.

Will took his hand from across the table. "I can be there to help you, if want. Even if she disowns you, I'll be there to support you," Will said, stroking Nico's cheek.

"I don't think she is going to disown me or do anything that dramatic, but yeah, I want you to be there. Just introduce yourself as my boyfriend," Nico instructed.

"Attention everybody!" Reyna announced, stepping up to the podium. "Frank and I will give a tour of the camp to our Greek visitors. For those of you who wish to go on the tour, we will be congregating in the courtyard shortly after breakfast. After lunch we will play capture the flag or as us Romans know it, war games. Greeks versus Romans, of course!" This last statement caused the hall to erupt in cheers.

"Don't worry, I'll side with the Greeks," Nico said to Will, squeezing his hand. Piper stood up and faced Reyna.

"Won't it be better if we integrate the teams? We're all about friendship and unity now, right?" She asked. Reyna shrugged off her comment.

"Ah, McLean. We may be friends but we're still competitive." The hall gave a big "ooooohhhhh," and Piper sat down, slightly red in the face. Jason gave her a pat of reassurance on the back. Everyone quickly finished their breakfast, excited for the day's events, and the Greeks met Reyna and Frank outside.

"Hello everyone! We're Reyna and Frank, the praetors of New Rome as you may or may not know. Camp Jupiter, as you see, is a wonderful place and we hope many of you visit again in the future. I'm not why all of you are here for the tour," Reyna said eying Jason, Percy, and Nico.

"Why _are_ you here, anyway?" Will whispered.

"You're here and it's not like I had anything better to do," he answered. "Besides, I don't know my way around camp that well. I didn't really get out much when I was here last," he added sheepishly.

"In honor of our new found friendship the senate has elected to wave a Camp Half-Blood flag from atop the senate house along with our Roman one," Reyna said regally. The Greeks applauded.

"You know, maybe we should display a Camp Jupiter flag back home too," Annabeth said to Percy, who just shrugged. They turned back to the tour, where Reyna was explaining the Pomerion line. Will was listening with interest, while Nico took in the beautiful scenery.

"No offense to Reyna or anything, but this tour is pretty boring, we haven't made it to the infirmary yet and it doesn't look like we're going to," Will said after a couple hours of walking around camp with the group. At first he found it interesting, but as it went on it became tedious to listen to. Nico wasn't even paying attention from the start because he already knew his way around the camp.

"Let's get to lunch early," Nico said. Will nodded and they headed over to the dining hall. They were both hungry and not in the mood to eat with the crowd. The walked into the hall, Will's arm wrapped around Nico's waist. Nico jumped back in surprise when he saw Hazel setting the tables. Will promptly dropped his arm.

"Oh, hi Nico," she said. "I'm here doing my duty as a centurion, if you were wondering," she added gesturing to the plates and napkins.

"Hi Hazel. We just came to get lunch early," Nico said, tense.

"Who's your friend here? I'm Hazel, Nico's half-brother," Hazel said as she shook Will's hand.

"Tell her now," Nico hissed to Will.

"Are you sure you don't want to?" Will whispered back. For Hazel, who momentarily turned her focus back to the tables, their exchange went unnoticed.

"I'm Will," he said. He gave Nico a quick glance, and he nodded. This was his first time intentionally coming out to someone (with Piper and Frank it just sort of happened) and his heart was racing. Finally he worked up the courage to say, "I'm his boyfriend."

"Oh!" Hazel gasped dropping a fork. She hastily picked it up and tried to mask her surprised expression. "So you're dating?" She asked.

"Yep," Will said.

"But you're-" she said getting cut off by Nico.

"Right. We're both guys."

"Oh. Well, okay," Hazel looked at them once more, as she was trying to imagine them as a couple, before heading back to work. Nico watched her for a moment before turning back to Will. Honestly, he got a better reaction than he was expecting. He knew his sister would be civil about it, but he was expecting her reaction to be more negative.

They ate their lunch quickly and headed back to the Pluto cabin, that was newly erected thanks to Jason, to get ready for capture the flag.

"We're required to wear our Camp Half-Blood shirts if we want to play," Will said pushing open the door.

Nico rolled his eyes. "We're not required to."

"It may not have explicitly said so in the rules, but you are going to participate with the rest of the camp and wear it," Will said. He opened Nico's suitcase and scowled.

"Do you even have a camp t-shirt?"

"No I don't, so I guess I can't wear one," Nico said with false sadness.

"Well lucky for you I brought an extra," he said an he pulled two orange shirts out of his bag. Will took off his 'I love NY' shirt and Nico tried not to get caught staring at him. But of course, Will caught him anyway.

"You know we're dating so it's okay to look at me like that," he said flexing his muscles. Nico turned bright red and buried his face in his hands, but Will only smirked. Will put on his camp one his camp short and threw the other one to Nico. He quickly changed and looked at himself in the mirror.

"It's so bright," he said, frowning.

"That's the point, to show camp spirit," Will said giving him a big hug and a peck on the lips.

After lunch, the two camps faced off in the forum. There was a sea of purple and a sea of orange. Now Nico was glad he wore his orange shirt because he didn't stand out as much, though his dark Stygian Iron sword still attracted a lot of attention.

"The first multi-camp game of capture the flag will begin in 3... 2… 1…" Reyna announced. "Go!" She shouted as Chiron blew the starting horn. Campers ran in all directions, most of them going into the forest.

"This isn't going to be like capture the flag back home. It will have a Roman twist. They'll dig tunnels and stuff," Nico said pointing at the fort where the flag was probably hidden. They then realized they were some of the only people left in the starting area and they hurried off into the trees.

He looked around nostalgically. "Last time I was here, I watched from the sidelines."

"Well, whether you like it or not, you're going to participate," Will snapped, not having time for Nico to review his long, and depressing past. "Let's do offense this time. I would volunteer to help out in the infirmary, but it looks like the Romans have it under control."

"We need to get past those walls," Nico said, pointing to the barricades set up by the Romans. Beyond them was the permanent fortress that was presumably hidden deep inside. "Maybe I can summon a ghost army to help-"

"No. You're not doing that," Will stated. "You may think you're fine, but summoning ghosts is seriously damaging to your health. I have not forgotten how close you were to fading away just a few days ago in the KFC parking lot where we fought Melinoë." Nico dropped Will's hand and turned away. He did not need to be reminded of that right now.

"Fine. Well do it the hard way and fight our way in," Nico said.

"You're a good sword fighter," Will said encouragingly. They ran around to the edge of wall, where it was relatively unprotected. Most of the Romans were with their cohorts, taking on the Greeks 10 at a time. "This kinda reminds me of the battle. Except the Romans aren't aiming to kill us."

"Camp Jupiter has been around for 3,000 years. It has been in various locations, and has had its ups and downs, but it never lost its competitive streak," Nico said before bringing the conversation back to the game."Our best bet is to create a diversion, and climb that wall, hopefully without being seen."

"Too bad Lou Ellen didn't want to come. She could be helpful right now," Will replied. Nico nodded, a pig ball could be useful.

"Let's go," Nico said and he jogged off towards the barricade. Will quickly caught up and the hid behind a tree until the Roman on guard turned his back.

"There's no way to get by without him noticing," Nico whispered, pointing at their opponent. "Are you sure you can't just shoot him with your bow?"

"No. The arrow will just bounce off his armor. It would give away our location and he would attack us. I think we should hold off on the sparring until we get inside the wall," Will answered.

"Any other diversion ideas?" As if on cue, the water cannons exploded and Nico knew Percy had something to do with it. The Roman ran off to check what the commotion was about, leaving a clear path into the fortress.

"Now!" Will yelled. They ran to the wall and started to climb it, using the rocks as natural footholds. But another Roman legionnaire spotted them and yelled for help. They started to climb faster. Will's foot slipped, but he was still holding on.

"Nico! Help pull me up," he cried. Nico who was already at the top of the wall reached down and grabbed Will's arm. Will was able to regain his footing and continued to climb.

"We're going to have to jump," Nico said, looking down. "It's only a ten foot drop though. We trained for this at camp." Will looked at him uncertainly. He had seen enough fall related injuries, that heights made him nervous. He grabbed Nico's hand for reassurance and the jumped.

"Okay," Nico said after a hard landing. "That was the easy part. Now we have to get the flag." Will pulled him in for a quick kiss before Percy and Jason ran up behind them.

"Hey! Let's team up," Jason said enthusiastically. "So you guys got over the wall too? Percy exploded the water cannons back there, but he's tired so don't expect him to do it again."

"Yeah, we saw," Will said. "So what's the plan?"

"Okay. You," Percy said pointing at Will. "Can stay a little bit behind us and shoot the Romans from afar. Me, Jason, and Nico can go can sword fight our way through, get the flag, and the come back. If any of us get hurt, it would be great if you could bandage us up quickly because we don't have time for the eagles to rescue us," he continued. Will looked slightly taken aback. If he made the battle plan, this is not how it would have gone. He wasn't confident enough in his archery skills to moving human targets and Percy didn't understand that healing wasn't as simple as putting on a bandage.

"Um, okay," Will said hesitantly. "Just know that for serious injuries you'll be better off with the eagles taking you to the infirmary than me treating you in the field."

"Okay, let's go before they attack us first," Jason said and the hurried off to the fort. Will trailed about twenty feet behind them, his bow ready. Their first real threat came at the entrance to the citadel. Three Romans were guarding the doorway with their swords drawn and shields up.

"Charge!" Percy yelled without thinking, his ADHD battle instincts taking over. He ran at the biggest, strongest, and toughest legionnaire an started to fighting him. The other Greek demigods were surprised by this sudden attack but quickly joined in on the action.

Nico found himself fighting Dakota. Dakota was fast but Nico was faster. Nico slashed and charged at him, but he only hit his shield. This was when he noticed Dakota's weak spot. He was too dependent on his shield. He put the tip of his sword under the bottom of the shield and twisted. The shield slipped off his arm and fell to the ground. Nico grabbed it before Dakota could pick it up and continued fighting. He quickly cornered him and ran his sword through his arm. He didn't want to seriously injure him but he was hurt enough for the giant eagle to come pick him up.

"I got one of them down," Nico called to Jason and Percy. Will was standing back quickly tending another Greek's injury. He ran inside and told Jason to catch up with him in a minute. He didn't know if there was going to be another chance to get inside the fort without fighting. He ran up 3 flights narrowly missing the traps that the Romans set up even though an arrow grazed his hair. He found it relatively unprotected considering how close it was to the flag. The Romans must have assumed that no one would get this far.

He found his self facing the flag, but there was someone in his way. Reyna.

"Ah, Nico di Angelo. We may be friends but I'm not about to let you walk away with the flag unscratched," she said mischievously. Nico didn't have time to chat. He drew his sword and charged. There was no denying it. Reyna was a better fighter.

Within seconds she had Nico pinned up against the wall. Even though Nico preferred fighting solo, he would need help if he wanted to win.

"Percy! Jason!" He called, embarrassed that Reyna was basically watching him admit defeat. As if the gods answered his prayers he heard them thundering up the steps.

"Nico we got you!" Jason yelled as he and Percy stepped in to join the battle with Reyna. Will ran up behind and stole the flag and ran back down the stairs. The others quickly got up and ran after him, leaving Reyna shocked that they managed to steal the flag from under her nose.

"Let's go quick!" Nico said. "We only need to get to the wall." They sprinted through the Field of Mars, waving the flag above their heads like a banner. They were fifty feet from the when Nico felt a piercing pain in his shoulder.

"Keep going!" Will yelled, hanging back to check on Nico. There were was an arrow, which no doubt was Frank's, sticking out of his back and the wound wasn't pretty. He pulled the arrow out and quickly shoved some ambrosia into his boyfriend's mouth. Nico savored the taste of his mother's Italian pasta and kept running towards the wall.

By time Nico made it to the line, his wound was mostly healed and Jason and Percy were already celebrating their victory with the rest of the Greeks. The elated Greeks and the crestfallen Romans crowded into the dining hall. Though Camp Jupiter lost they were hopeful for many games of capture the flag in the future.

After dinner Will and Nico left Camp Jupiter through the Caldecott tunnel and ended up in the heart of San Francisco. They were in the central business district, 2 blocks away from Little Italy.

"I know a really good dessert place around here," Nico said looking at the neighborhood directory.

"Let's go then," Will said giving his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, which made him blush furiously. "

Just make sure it's not too unhealthy." Nico rolled his eyes, he had long since given up trying to contradict Will's medical advice.

They started walking and the scenery around them changed from skyscrapers to Italian flags and bakeries in two short blocks.

"How much Italian do you actually remember?" Will asked holding Nico's hand.

"Enough," Nico answered vaguely, "not quite fluent anymore though."

"That's cool. I took one year of French in school before I knew I was a demigod. I was horrible at it though. Not too great at Ancient Greek either. I know the hymns for Apollo and that's about it," Will laughed.

"We're here," Nico said stopping in front of a place called Classic Italian Sweets. "Let's get some cannoli."

"I have never had this before," Will said with his mouth full of cannoli. "It's really good though."

"Just one of the many Italian desserts most Americans are missing out on," Nico shrugged and they walked a few more blocks before Will sighed loudly and sat on the bench at a bus stop.

"You know, it's pretty late and it's going to take forever to walk anywhere. Let's just take a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge," he complained. Nico pulled him close, gave him a kiss on the cheek and they cuddled on the bench waiting for the bus until a Will suddenly perked up. "I have a better idea. Let's take the cable car!"

They walked to the nearest cable car stop and waited, in silence, but totally in love. A minute later the cable pulled up, they hopped on and found a seat in the back, where the watched the San Francisco nightlife go by.

"This is a beautiful city," Will said, and Nico smiled in agreement. Now he started to choose his words carefully. "You know, maybe when we're older," he started, fading away. He had a bold proposal in mind, but he had no idea how Nico would react.

"Yeah, what?" Nico asked impatiently. He had waited many years before he was accepted himself for who he was and seven days doing nothing in a bronze jar, and patience still wasn't his strong suit.

"Around Percy and Annabeth's age, we could possibly… live here?" He said hesitantly. He also felt the need for a quick explanation. "I understand if you don't want. I know you didn't have a great experience at Camp Jupiter before, but I want to go to college and medical school. I want to live a long, full life and I don't think Camp Half-Blood is going to give that to us." Nico stared at him with a mix of emotions on his face.

"I think we're kind of young to discuss this now, but you're right. Most Greek demigods don't live into the adulthood and I want us to be the exception. I want to stay a Camp Half-Blood for a couple more years, but maybe afterwards we can come here. Before I met you I wanted to die, but now I want to life a full life," he said.

Never in a million years did Nico ever imagine he would give a long sedimental speech like that, but being with Will was changing his as a person. In a good way.

"With you," he added. Will's heart melted, when he heard Nico say this. It was unexpected, but he never loved his boyfriend more.

"You're right, we shouldn't think about this now. But you have never made me happier," he leaned in for a kiss. "I'm so lucky to have you."

There they were, kissing on the back of the cable car; the moment was both tranquil and passionate, spontaneous and planned, only one thing was certain. Neither of them wanted it to end.

"Next stop Golden Gate Bridge!" The cable car driver called. They paid the driver, hopped off the car, and Will looked at the bridge in awe.

"Please don't tell me you were expecting the bridge to actually be gold," Nico said sarcastically.

"No. I wasn't," Will said glaring at his boyfriend. "I have never seen it in person before and was just appreciating the architecture," he added, even though he was slightly disappointed about the color.

"You're turning into Annabeth," Nico said, rolling his eyes. Will ignored this and took Nico's hand and pulled him on to the bridge.

They walked slowly across the bridge, quietly talking about their time in New Rome so far. By time they reached the middle, night was falling, with only a few rays of sunlight remaining. The effects was mesmerizing and romantic. Will took the opportunity to wrap his arms intimately around his boyfriend's waist and they watched the sun dip below the horizon. They stood like this for quite a while, Will resting his head on Nico shoulder, until someone walked up behind him.

"Do you want me to take a picture?" The man said. Will jumped a little but he gave him his phone, which only head counselors were allowed to have.

"Yeah, that would be great," he said. Nico leaned over the railing a little and Will raised Nico's arms before wrapping his own around his waist again.

"Trust me on this," he whispered, when he saw Nico's confused expression.

"3… 2… 1… Got it," he said handing the phone back. "It's a classic Titanic moment, but better. Have a good one." Will smiled. At least someone got his reference.

They stood in the middle of the bridge for a few more minutes, savoring the moment before they decided to head back. Back at camp, Will lead Nico back to his cabin.

"I had fun tonight. I hope we can come back here sometime," he said kissing him deeper than he ever had before. After what seemed like an eternity, Nico pulled away.

"Yeah, me too," he said lamely, wishing he could think of something better to say. Will leaned in closer, his lips brushing his ear.

"Nico, you mean the world to me," he whispered. "Before I met you I had a bit of a temper, was a little too obsessed with my work as a medic, and struggling with my sexuality. You helped me mellow out a bit. Sure, you're super moody, but you helped me find acceptance with myself." Nico was a little taken aback by this.

"Thanks," he finally said. "You mean a lot to me too. I've become a happier person since I started dating you." Will brought his lips back to his mouth and kissed him some more.

"I love you, Nico," Will said. It was the first time he had said those words aloud to Nico and they seemed to bring their relationship to a new level. It took some nerve to say, but he was couldn't conceal his feelings any longer. "I really do."

"I love you too," Nico replied honestly. He pulled Will in for one last kiss before heading back to his cabin.

That night Will fell asleep thinking about Nico. He had never been so happy.

Nico headed back to the honorary Hades cabin and found Hazel sitting in front of the fireplace.

"Oh, hi Nico," she said.

"Hi Hazel."

"Listen. I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier," she confessed. "I was rude and didn't know how to react."

"Oh that. Honestly, I got a better reaction than I was expecting," Nico said bitterly.

"I'll admit it. I'm not entirely used to the idea of two guys dating. I'm not against it, it's just not an idea I was exposed to growing up. You know how it was back then," Hazel said getting emotional and Nico nodded in agreement. "But Will seems really nice and I want you to be happy."

"Thanks," he said said, pulling his sister in for a hug. He didn't care that she only kinda supported him, he was just glad that he could be open about his feelings. Eventually they parted and climbed into their separate beds.Nico couldn't wait to see Will again.

The next morning at the crack of dawn the Greeks piled back on the buses and began the long drive back home. Every single one of them wished their weekend in New Rome was longer.


	4. Infirmary Troubles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drew starts to flirt with Will and Nico gets pretty pissed.

"I'm so tired," Will yawned as the bus pulled out of the Camp Jupiter parking lot and everybody around him nodded in agreement. Their weekend in New Rome was short, but very busy and tiring. Though they all wanted it to last longer, not one person could say no to two days of relaxing on the bus. 

The bus ride through California, Nevada, and Utah was relatively uneventful. Most of the campers were either sleeping or It wasn't until Colorado did thing start to get unpredictable. Halfway through the Rocky Mountains the bus started to shudder and smoke. Nico who was sleeping on Will's shoulder sat up and grabbed his hand tightly. 

"Is the bus broken?" Nico asked, worried. Will shrugged and didn't answer. Suddenly the bus stopped and Chiron stood up to address the group. 

"Unfortunately we will have to take an emergency stop. The bus needs urgent repairs and Nyssa will tell you more about it," he said. 

Nyssa from the Hephaestus cabin stood up as well. "The magic and extra parts we installed in the engine to make the bus go faster have been going haywire since we arrived in New Rome. Now we need to pull over and access the situation," she said. "Shouldn't be more than a few hours." The camp groaned. It was windy and cold outside, weather no one was looking forward to being stuck in. 

A few minutes later about 50 demigods filed out of the bus and huddled under the tree to get warm. The wind was numbingly cold and there were no enough blankets to go around. In short, they were miserable. 

Will wrapped his arms around Nico's neck and pulled their blanket tight around them. They shared a chaste kiss before turning back to the group, who was watching Nyssa intently. 

The rest of the Hephaestus cabin has also gathered around the bus while Nyssa investigated the engine. "Hey everyone, it looks like the engine is completely corroded. We'll try to be quick about repairs and hopefully we'll be moving in several hours." The camp groaned and people with blankets pulled them tighter. 

"Several hours?!" Jason complained. He usually wasn't one to whine, but he also was one of the unfortunate few who did not have a blanket or a jacket even though he was a head counselor. "Pipes, there are lots of venti around here that I think we could use to get home. Convince Chiron to let us leave. We could use one of those emergency chariots in the back of the bus." He instructed. 

"Do you think that they could take us back to Camp Half-Blood too?" Will whispered, but Nico shook his head. The (partially broken) emergency that Chiron sometimes used to rescue stranded demigods barely looked big enough for two people. 

"Chiron, we'll meet you back at camp," Piper said with her charm speak before hastily joining Jason in the chariot, which now had two wind spirits harnessed to the front. 

With that final statement Jason pulled the reins and the lifted off the ground and zoomed through the mountain pass. The remaining campers stared at the spot where they just were in disbelief before breaking out in excited murmurs. Everyone left was fantasizing about making a dramatic exit to and Chiron had to blow his horn multiple times to quiet everyone down. 

"Attention! Nyssa just informed me that we should be back on the road by this afternoon. Unfortunately we will only be able to travel at normal highway speeds and it will take us a week to get home," Chiron said, getting interrupted by a collective groan. Suddenly changing his mood he added, "Hot chocolate will be ready shortly." The camp lightened up slightly but they still huddled together for warmth. 

"What if we were to just leave too?" Nico suggested. Though the wind had let up a little due to Jason taking some venti, Nico still felt like he was dying of hypothermia, a feeling he was all to familiar with. 

Will let go of his boyfriend's waist and looked him straight in the eye. "If you're thinking of shadow traveling it's not going to happen," he said sternly. It's not healthy for you."

"Will, I'm stronger now. This isn't like after the battle where I would literally fade away if I tried anything. It'll be fine," Nico said. 

"Nico, I love you and I want you to stay. As your boyfriend and a medic I'm asking you not to jeopardize your health by shadow traveling," Will replied calmly, pulling him closer. 

"I don't know about you but I don't want to stand in the cold for several more hours and then get back to camp in a week," Nico snapped. He wriggled out of Will's arms and marched over to the nearest shadow. He started to fade but a second later he materialized again and glared at Will. "Well are you coming or not?"

Will didn't really have much choice. He needed to make sure Nico got back to camp safely or provide emergency resuscitation if he didn't. He also didn't want to spend a week on the bus without him. He walked over to his boyfriend and grabbed his arms. "Fine, I'll come. Just don't hurt yourself."

For Will, shadow traveling was an unnerving experience. He was slightly nauseated watching various scenes from the Underworld whip by, all gone before he could get a second look. He could also hear departed souls wailing from Tartarus. Even though Nico was constantly reassuring him that they were safe he was still on edge.

Suddenly Will lost his grip. Nico's hands were no longer solid. He would've fallen deep into Tartarus if he hadn't managed to hug him just in time. 

"Nico, we're almost there. Only a few more minutes," Will gasped, squeezing his boyfriend close. Nico gave a small nod, too exhausted to speak. "I love you! Don't go."

They were losing speed. Will immediately regretted letting Nico transport them across the country. They were almost at a full stop and Will did the only thing that could motivate Nico to keep going. He kissed him full on the lips and to Will it made the underworld a little brighter. 

The kiss was just the encouragement Nico needed to keep going. He activated his last bit of strength and they tumbled down Half-Blood hill and landed in the strawberry fields. 

"Nico! Wake up!" Will sobbed. Nico's eyes were fluttering and he was gasping for breath. Will jumped on top of him and started feeling around his neck for a pulse. It was slow and faint but at least it was steady. Irregular heartbeat, one less thing to worry about, Will thought. He grabbed a square of nectar out of his emergency portable first aid kit and forced it down his throat. "Come on Nico," he said, giving him a kiss on the forehead. 

The ambrosia pulsed through his veins and Nico felt his strength coming back. He opened his eyes and made a feeble attempt to sit up, but Will pushed him down again. 

"No. You're too weak to walk on your own," Will said firmly. "Let me carry you." Nico let out a soft moan and Will carefully lifted him to his feet. Nico was leaning against him like he was in the battle but he didn't feel uncomfortable this time or push away. 

Carrying Nico back to the infirmary was easier said than done. The process was slow and it was mostly Nico leaning on Will while Will tries to push him along. It was tedious and Will was becoming almost as exhausted as Nico. 

"Hey Will! Need a hand?" Kayla yelled and Will nearly jumped a foot in surprise. His half sister was fulfilling her school's community service requirement by picking strawberries. 

While Will did want more quality time with Nico he couldn't find himself turning down his sister's offer. "Yeah, sure. It would be great if you could get a gurney."

Will muttered his thanks as Kayla sprinted through the fields and returned in record time with a rolling hospital bed. They lifted Nico, who was now sleeping in a strawberry patch, onto it and Will talked about his New Roman Holiday on the way back to the infirmary. 

"Yeah, it works well. The leadership style was a lot different there and I think our way's better be Reyna really knows how to handle the entire legion and meet everyone's needs..." Will rambled when Kayla asked about the praetor system. Changing the subject he added, "They play capture the flag there too, but the best part of the trip was when Nico and I went into the city." Nico gave a small moan of agreement. 

"Oh, what did you guys do?" She asked, eyebrows raised. 

"It was a da-" Will said before catching himself. He almost said 'date' but he realized it wasn't exactly the place or time to come out to his sister. They had to get Nico to the infirmary and there was no time for deep conversations. "We just hung out."

Kayla looked at him and Nico suspiciously but didn't say anything. They had arrived at the infirmary and Nico was groaning loudly in pain. 

"Well, do you need me to stay and help?" Kayla asked once Nico was off the gurney and chewing on ambrosia.

Will looked up from the medical file he was taking notes in. "Nope. I got it," he said winking at Nico. 

Kayla raised her eyebrows once again and Will pulled the privacy curtain shut around him and his boyfriend. She had her speculations that they were dating but wanted things to play out on their own. She was not one to pry. 

"You are going to be okay," Will said giving Nico a soft kiss. "I gave you some ambrosia and all you can do now is rest."

Will grabbed his hand and watched him drift to sleep before checking on the other patients. 

Drew Tanaka was in the next occupied bed and was hospitalized for four days so far from taking a 'miracle diet pill' that she bought from a drug dealer in a sketchy alley in New York City. The pill ended up being a dangerous mix of illegal drugs and she barely made it to the infirmary in time before she realized her mistake. 

"I hope we learned our lesson about taking unauthorized pills," Will said grumpily, annoyed that he could have been tending patients with real health problems (aka Nico) but had to watch her instead. 

"Oh Will," Drew gushed, her Aphrodite charm radiating off of her. "It worked. I lost 10 pounds in 2 days." She stroked Will's arm and batted her eyelashes when he brushed it away. 

"Well, if you rest and take your medication you can leave the infirmary by tomorrow evening," Will said. He resisted the urge to laugh at her flirty antics. 

"But Will, what if I don't want to leave that soon? I've been getting accustomed to my bed here," she whined. "Besides your here." She grabbed his arm again and pulled him closer to the bed. 

Will raised his eyebrows in a mixture of alarm and confusion. Drew Tanaka had never said two words to him before and now she was using her Aphrodite charm to its full potential. He had a suspicion that she was using him, but he pushed that thought back down reminding himself that he had Nico and she could easily find a single, straight guy to flirt with. 

"You're single right?" She said, pulling her low-cut shirt even lower. Will rolled his eyes, this conversation was going exactly where he didn't want it to go. He wasn't exactly in the mood to come out to someone he despised. 

"No." Will said flatly. "I'll leave you to rest now." He said before walking off, relieved to get away from the situation. Even though he was in a horrible mood from all the day's events, he was still to nice to outright reject her. 

Drew laid there deflated. She had never been rejected before and was expecting the Son of Apollo to be head over heels for her. She figured that she would catch him in a better mood at dinner. 

"Hey Nico," Will whispered and he have him a soft kiss on the forehead to wake him up. "I think you're well enough to go to dinner as long as you promise to spend the night here."

Nico rolled over and grunted, "Fine. As long as I don't have to spend tomorrow here too."

"Okay. I'll make a compromise and only make you stay until lunch, even though the smart thing to do would be to stay until Wednesday," Will said. 

Nico rolled out of bed and they made their way down to the dining hall. 

"So, how was the rest of your day?" Nico asked, referring to the time when he was sleeping. "I see the infirmary survived a weekend without you." 

Will pulled Nico away from the main pavilion and kissed him in a more secluded spot. "Nico, that weekend in Rome was one of the best weekends in my life," he said getting more sentimental. "I love you and the trip made me love you more. Kayla managed the infirmary fine." 

Nico almost choked at the cheesiness of Will's words, but he loved him too so he didn't judge. Beside he felt the same way about him. He checked to make sure that no one was watching and gave another quick kiss. 

Turns out someone was watching. That person was Jason Grace. "Oh hey Nico, want to join me and Piper for dinner?" He asked as he walked up to them. Then he noticed them making out. "Am I interrupting something?" He said awkwardly. 

Will and Nico sprang apart. Nico was relieved that it was only Jason, but he'll admit that it's embarrassing to be so caught up in the moment that you don't notice someone sneak up behind you. "Uh... No. We were about about to go to dinner ourselves."

"Cool. I'll walk with you," Jason said. "You guys are so cute together, you know." 

Nico punched him in the arm. Hard. "Jason..." He said through gritted teeth. "Remember that I can use the Underworld to my advantage." Jason backed away a little and quickly apologized. 

"But Jason you don't need to worry about that," Will said. "Nico is not supposed to abuse his powers. He nearly died Shadow Traveling across the country today." 

Will also earned a punch on the arm and Nico stomped away from them towards the dining hall. While he secretly thought it was cute when Will teased him, doing it in front of Jason was just humiliating. 

Piper wanted to sit with her Aphrodite friends, who she hadn't seen in a few days, so Will, Nico, and Jason sat at the empty Zeus table. 

"Let's have some man time," Jason declared. "It's too bad Percy has to miss out on this." Will and Nico rolled their eyes, while they were friends with Jason, they weren't exactly 'bro' material. 

"So are you guys looking forward to capture the flag?" Jason asked. 

"Capture the flag isn't for another three weeks," Will pointed out. "Shouldn't you be building a shrine or something?"

Jason dropped his frat boy demeanor and sighed. "Yeah, there's a lot of work to be done. I can't believe I built a shrine for the Fates today. But, hey, maybe they'll leave us alone if we honor them more." 

Suddenly Drew Tanaka, who was supposed to be healing in the infirmary, sat down at their table. "Hey Jason, Hey Will," she said sexily. Nico as usual was ignored. "Mind if I join you? I was going to sit with my Aphrodite siblings, but Piper was there," she grimaced. 

"Piper happens to be a very nice person, thank you very much," Jason said loudly. "In fact I'm going to go sit with her right now." He marched over the Aphrodite table, where he was welcomed with open arms. 

"Beside the point. So Will, tell me more about you're New Rome trip," she said, stroking his arm. Will edged away from her and squeezed Nico's hand under the table. 

"Let's see, we played War Games, the bus broke down, and I went on a hot date," he said, rather bluntly. He scooted closer to Nico, so that their legs were touching. 

"Oh Will, you went on a hot date? You can do so much better than any of the girls who went on the trip!" Drew squealed. She brushed Will's arm and her recoiled. 

"She's right. I got you," he muttered to Nico. Nico smiled for the first time since Drew joined them. 

"Come on," Nico said abruptly. "Let's go."

Will set up Nico's bed in the infirmary while Nico took more ambrosia. "What was Drew doing with you anyway?" the Son of Hades asked, irritated. 

"She probably doesn't have anyone to flirt with because everyone went on the New Rome trip," Will responded. "Presumably I'm her back up guy, since her boyfriend is still on the bus."

"Oh, they broke up a month ago," Nico said and Will straightened up, surprised that he kept up with the gossip. "Piper told me," he added quickly. 

Will let out a great sigh of annoyance. "Now I'm her first choice, but little does she know that I have no attraction to her." He gave Nico a soft, sensual kiss. 

"Well, are you ever going to tell her?" Nico asked, pulling away, slightly pissed that Will was trying to avoid the conversation. 

"When the time is right. Come on, you need one more dose of ambrosia before bed."

"Well, just don't let her do anything," Nico snapped at his boyfriend before getting kissed goodnight. 

Nico didn't know why he was so irritated. Sure, Drew Tanaka had an uncanny ability of manipulating people and he didn't trust her, but he knew Will did nothing wrong. He saw the way he rejected her, he just had a hard time believing it. 

The next morning Will tracked Piper down before her sword fighting lesson. 

"Tell me about Drew Tanaka."

Piper swore loudly. "That manipulative, lying bitch." Will recoiled, he had never heard Piper talk like this. He knew she and Drew had a rocky relationship, but he didn't know it was this toxic. 

"Um, yeah, that's her. Well she started flirting with me, I rejected her, and now Nico's in one of his moods." Will said. 

Piper cringed. "Ooh, rejection. She's not going to like that. But besides the point, why was she flirting with you?"

Will gave her a brief rundown of the day's events as she listened pensively. 

"Um, aren't you gay?" She asked hesitantly. 

"Yeah, I'm definitely not into her and I want her to stop and leave me alone the question is how."

"Well, the quick solution would be to tell her. It may not be easy, but it will be effective," Piper said. Will grimaced. Coming out was hard enough as it was, but intentionally coming out to someone you barely knew yet despised so much; it nowhere near the top of his to do list. 

He considered his options. He could come out and Drew would leave him and he could live in peace with Nico, assuming she would use her Aphrodite wisdom and accept their relationship. Unfortunately it was easier said than done. His other choice would be to do nothing and wait for her to find out in her own, which could take months, and he would have to deal with a cranky, jealous Nico in the meantime. 

"Well should I?" He asked. 

Piper smiled. "The decision is entirely up to you. It's now my secret to tell. Just think about the outcome in the long run."

"Thanks, see you around," Will said, leaving Piper to start her sword fighting lesson. He thought about his options again and decided that coming out would be the best one. Best to get her out of my life earlier than later, he thought. Only the hard part of actually doing it remained. 

"Ugh, I have to go check on the other patients now," Will sighed to Nico in the infirmary after lunch that day. "You're condition is stable and now you just need rest and don't think that I didn't notice you shadow traveling last night. Will the message ever get through to you that it's not healthy? I love you, Nico, but I just need you to stay safe."

"Just doing something for my father," Nico muttered. "But, yeah, love you too." Nico sat up in the bed and brought their lips together. 

Contrary to his prescription, Nico did not go to sleep when Will told him to. He rolled over and watched Will walk over to Drew, who managed to get ahold of another diet pill, and threw up in his mouth when she ran her fingers around his boyfriend's collarbone. 

Will cast one last desperate glance at Nico before turning his attention to Drew Tanaka. When he approached her she sat up, flattened her hair, and grabbed his shirt to pull him closer. 

"Oh Will," he heard her gush for the millionth time that week. 

"Stop it. I'm your doctor not your boyfriend!" He snapped, finally losing it and slapping her hand away. 

For the tiniest fraction of a second Drew lost her composure abut she gained it back quickly. "But you could be..." She whined, baby doe eyes huge. 

Nico found their whole exchange so far entertaining. Will was shutting her down, (though he was slightly pissed he wouldn't just end things easily by coming out) and you could almost hear the insecurity under Drew's charm speak. Though he was revolted at first, when Will swatted her hand away he almost started to believe that he want secretly into her. Almost, but not quite. 

"I am happy with my current dating situation," Will said flatly giving Nico, who was now faking sleep a quick glance. "I already said no to you." Will didn't know it it was possible to be anymore direct (actually he did know but he wasn't quite ready for that) while politely rejecting something multiple times. 

Nico smiled to himself, glad his boyfriend was loyal to him but his mood instantly changed when Drew grabbed Will's hand and whined, "But you can be happier with me!" He rolled over in bed and forced himself to go sleep before he even got to see Will's reaction. 

Frankly, Will was offended when Drew said he could be happier with her. She was judging him without even knowing who he was dating, how much he loved Nico, or really any other details about his personal life. Normally he was a pretty chill guy, but Drew was just the type of person to change that. There was nothing he wanted to do more than stand up to her, only he knew that he would chicken out when it actually came time to do it. 

After lunch Nico begged Kayla to release him from the infirmary and she eventually gave in. Immediately he went to go find Will who was taking his break time in the Apollo cabin.

"Anything else happen in the infirmary that I need to know about?" Nico snapped, aggressively grabbing Will's hand and dragging him out of the cabin. 

"Nico... This is about Drew again isn't it?" Will sighed. "I rejected her and I already told you I have feelings for you. Only you. She just hasn't stopped yet. You know how she flirts with anyone." He added pitifully. 

"Well did anything happen that you need to tell me about?" He asked again. 

"No! Nothing happened," Will snapped. 

"Fine. Come with me," Nico said, his voice raised. He grabbed his arm and dragged him out into the strawberry fields. 

"You know, I really don't have a problem with you being into girls too. I just wish you would tell me," Nico said, staring down his boyfriend. 

Will rested his hands on Nico's shoulders and pulled him closer. "Nico, how many times do I have to tell you that I have no feelings for her? These conversations are getting redundant. You saw me reject her!" He tried to stay calm, though his voice may have gotten a certain edge to it by the end. 

"I know coming out isn't the easiest thing and I understand stand why you haven't told Drew about me, but you really haven't been making an effort to make her go away. Kinda saying no when her crush on you is blatantly obvious isn't enough," Nico yelled. Their chests were touching, but despite how mad he was, he couldn't bring himself to pull away. 

Will had a sudden urge to make out with Nico, but since it definitely wasn't the moment to do so, he yelled back instead. "Yeah, you're right. Coming out is hard," he spat. "If only you acknowledged how hard I am working to get rid of her. Me and Piper talked the whole thing through."

"Oh, so you're with Piper now to?" Nico really didn't think that Will would ever do anything scandalous with Piper but he felt like fighting so he did. 

"Gods, Nico. Piper? Of all people? Who is happily dating Jason, no we're just friends," Will said, throwing his arms in the air. 

"Yeah I know, but what about Drew? She is not happily dating anybody and wants more than friendship. What are you going to do now?" Nico taunted. 

Will was done arguing and gave Nico a quick, passionate kiss. "I love you, I wish you would stop doubting me." 

Nico returned the kiss but did not initiate another one. "Me too." He whispered. After standing there for a moment with his head resting on his boyfriend's shoulder he walked away. "I have to get ready for dinner now," he said without looking back.

Except Nico didn't show up for dinner or the next day. Will did his work without emotion and tried to avoid Drew. After two days he finally knocked on the door of the Hades cabin. 

Nico rolled over in his bed to face the wall. It wasn't until Will knocked again five minutes later did he let him in. "What do you want?" He grumbled. 

"I just thought we could spend the day in here together," Will said. He hated the demeanor of the Hades cabin, but he wasn't about to force his boyfriend outside and risk another fight. 

"Whatever," Nico said. He got out of bed and sat down on the couch with his boyfriend. 

"I'm really sorry about the whole Drew thing," Will finally said after a moments silence. 

"Yeah I know," Nico said. He leaned against his shoulder and in that moment they had made a silent pact not to mention Drew against. 

"Come on, let's watch a movie," Will said. Though it was only 10 a.m. he walked over to Nico's small collection of DVDs and picked out 300. It was about Ancient Greece, something they both had in common. 

Will leaned into Nico and kissed his cheek. "It will be a good day," he whispered. Nico smiled and draped an arm across his shoulder and they watched the movie. 

"That was good, wasn't it?" Will cooed as the credits rolled. He ruffled Nico's hair an got up and sat on his bed. 

Honestly Nico liked Will being overly nice. He knew that he was doing it to make up for the past few days and would return to normal within the weeks, but he still thought it was sweet. He went and sat down on Will's lap. 

Will didn't even bother hugging him or stroking his arm he went right in for the kiss. He wanted their relationship to get past the post-fight awkwardness and pick up where it left off in New Rome. He pushed Nico down and straddled his hips and started exploring his mouth with his tongue. 

Nico, who was slightly alarmed my this sudden advance, returned the gesture. Though it had only been 24 hours, he missed making out. Will's hands were soon makings their way up his shirt and he slipped a finger under his boyfriend's belt. 

Nico abruptly pulled away and pushed Will off of him. 

"Seriously? We almost broke up two days ago and now you want to have sex?" Nico said. It pained him how true his words were. "We're still pretty young and I don't think our first time should be so spontaneous,"  
He added snarkily. 

"Really Nico!? You thought I wanted sex? Yeah I agree, we're too young. Maybe I was just pulling you closer," he retorted. 

"You know what? I'm tired," Nico snapped. "Maybe I just wanted to sleep in my cabin all day."

Will was slightly hurt by this, but he didn't let it show. "Fine. I'll just stay here with you." He curled up against Nico's chest so he was spooning him. Nico fluffed his hair like he did in the good old days and they napped until dinner time. 

The dining was buzzing with excitement the next morning during breakfast. The demigods stranded on the side of the road were finally back. 

"Hey Will. Hey Nico," Annabeth said, joining than along with Percy, Jason, and Piper. "How has your week been?"

"It's been great!" Jason said, wrapping an arm around Piper's waist. "We went into the city, built more shrines, talked to Reyna and Frank via Iris message..."

"Cool. I'd love to hear the details later, but how have you been doing Nico?" She said. 

"We've been fine," Nico said tightly. Will flashed a big smile and Nico awkwardly did too. Though they made up their relationship was still tense. 

"Well we actually came over to tell you about the party Chiron is throwing to celebrate our return from New Rome," Percy said excitedly, giving Annabeth a big wet kiss on the cheek which earned him sharp glare. 

"Oh yeah! I heard about that," Drew squealed, suddenly appearing next to Will. "There will be music, dancing, food… It will be a ton of fun."

"And all head counselors will be required to go," Piper said glaring at Nico. 

"No getting out of it," Jason added. 

Nico stomach did a backflip. Dances were the social event that he tried the hardest to avoid in school. There was lots of intimacy and PDA; not exactly the most comfortable place for a mostly closeted gay guy. Did Will expect him to go as a date or a 'friend'?

"Well I gotta go now. See ya Will!" Drew said before blowing him a kiss and running back to the Aphrodite table. 

Jason raised his eyebrows and uneasy glances were shared within the group. 

"Nothing happened," Will said. "Nico, your going with me right?" 

"If I'm being forced to go, yeah," he said, lacing his fingers through Will's (under the table away from unwelcome stares). 

"You are being forced to go and you will come with me," Will hissed playfully in his ear. 

Their conversation was cut short when Chiron stepped up to the podium. He stomped his hoof once and the hall quieted at once. "Attention Camp Half-Blood. As you may have noticed, everybody is back from New Rome and to celebrate I will be throwing a whole camp party in the Big House for the first time ever!" Chiron said, earning a loud cheer. "Getting back to business. Due to security reasons, the head counselor of every cabin must attend even if your cabin has only one person." Nico swore the last part was directed towards him; Jason and Percy don't need extra convincing to go. 

Nico sank in his chair and Will smirked at him. He thought that Piper was just saying that to get him to go and was a was disappointed when she was right. Sure he was glad for another opportunity to hang out with Will, but honestly he would rather hang out with him privately.

The party was all every one talked about for the next few days. Most particularly the dance and who was going with who. Percy and Annabeth predictably were the power couple, with Piper and Jason close behind. Lou Ellen and Cecil claimed they were just going as friends but Will knew there was something more going on between them. There were also a few surprising couples, who probably won't stay together long term, like Clovis and Kayla. Jason thought that Nico and Will were cuter than the first year campers dubbed 'cutest couple', but since they weren't out yet he only talked about them with Piper. 

It irked Nico how big of a deal people were making out of it. Will complained about them not being a thing because Nico wanted to stay closeted to most of the camp (though really it was part of his big plan to make Drew realize the nature of his and Nico's relationship from an slow increase of public displays of affection). 

"So you're coming as my date right?" Will said hanging out in the Hades cabin a few hours before the dance. He decided he just wanted to come out already, but being the good person he was he was respecting his boyfriend's wishes and keep their relationship private. After giving it a few days of thought he realized it wasn't really about Drew anymore (she was starting to get bored but she hadn't given up yet). It was about himself. He felt like he would be happier and have more fun if he didn't feel the need to hide his relationship from other campers who were only acquaintances. 

"Yes. But we won't let it show," Nico said determinedly. He wanted Drew to know that Will had no attraction to girls, but not the whole camp. Too many people who's reactions he was unsure about. 

"Fine. Just let me kiss you one more time before you insist we can't even hold hands unless we're around Jason and the rest of the Seven," Will said leaning in for the kiss. 

The music was loud enough to piles through everyone's veins. The lights were low and a disco ball spun overhead. Everyone was dancing and laughing, and even Nico who was swaying to the beat, was enjoying themselves. 

"Come on, just one dance?" Will begged. "No one will make a big deal out of it. It's not even to a slow song." 

Nico crossed his arms across his chest. "You think I know how? You know dancing's not really thing."

"It's not that hard. Just move to the rhythm of the music." Will said. He dragged Nico over to where Percy and Annabeth were standing and said, "We need to teach Nico how to dance."

"Ok. It's really not that hard. You just need to know a few songs with particular moves but otherwise just do what feels right," Percy said. "Need a demonstration?"

Without waiting for an answer Percy pulled Annabeth closer and started grinding. 

"No thanks," Nico said promptly turning away. 

"We don't have to do it like that. Just follow me," Will said dramatically grabbing his boyfriend's waist and almost knocking him over. 

Nico awkwardly rested his hands on Will's shoulders. They were shielded from the rest of the group by Percy and Annabeth but Nico still felt strangely exposed. Will was smiling and shuffling him along in their corner. 

"Relax, Nico," Will whispered sensually into his neck. 

Nico took a deep breath and dropped some of the tension in his shoulders, but he was still positive dancing wasn't his thing. "You know what? I'm hungry. Let's check out the snack bar."

They stepped away from each other and walked over to the punch bowl. Will was proud of himself for getting a twenty second dance out of Nico. Now his goal was to dance with him to a slow song. Unfortunately this goal is achieved. 

"Heyyy Will…" Drew said coming out of nowhere. "Let me get you some punch." She winked and served Will a cup of the fruity drink. 

"I uh, really don't need any," Will said glancing at Nico and sending him a 'rescue me' look. 

"I'm going to borrow him for a couple songs, ok," Drew said, her sickly sweet voice washing over Nico. 

Before he could free himself from her charmspeech he found himself saying, "Okay." Ten seconds later he called out "Will come back," into the crowd, but it was no use because they were too far away and the music was too loud. 

Will violently pulled his hand out of Drew's and frantically started looking for Nico. He feared all night that something like this would happen. He was glad for the opportunity to dance. However, he was not glad it was with Drew. It seemed like the second he pulled his hand away, Drew took it as an invitation to wrap his arm around his waist. 

Nico watched in horror as Drew danced with his boyfriend. He felt abandoned, like he had for so many years after Bianca died. Just a few weeks after he and Will declared their love for each other, the hole in his heart had been ripped open again. He thought they were exclusive, yet here he was watching Will dancing with a girl. Forgetting the look of disgust on Will's face as Drew twirled him around and his claims that he wasn't into girls, Nico left the dance in rage. 

"I have to go," Will said. "Uh, bathroom," he lied. 

Drew reluctantly let him go and whispered, "Nice dancing with you. Want to get it on later tonight in my cabin?" 

Will turned away revolted and slipped away without answering. He saw Nico run outside and followed him. He cursed himself. If Nico wasn't back in his cabin and decided to shadow travel away forever he was screwed. He had to explain. 

Will pounded on the door of the Hades cabin. "Nico! You know that I was forced into that. Just let me in!" He yelled. 

"I saw what happened. You said you weren't into her and you lied. One of my criteria for dating is exclusively," Nico shouted through the door. 

Ouch. That hurt. Will leaned against the closed door a single tear rolling down his face. "I love you Nico. I just wish you listened to me when I told you I have no feelings for her," he said lowering his voice. 

"I'm going to bed. We'll talk when this whole Drew thing clears up," Nico said. "Just give me some time."

Dejected Will walked back to the Apollo cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry it will have a happy ending.


	5. Together Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their fight, Will and Nico try to make things right again.

Nico shadow traveled around for the next few days, fading more with each jump. He knew that his friends first piece of advice would to be to head down to the infirmary to get healed and face his problems with Will, but realistically he couldn't even think about him without having an emotional breakdown. Much to Jason's disgrace he reverted back to his old ways of running away from his problems. He still loved Will, but hated him at the same time. 

On the one week anniversary of their break up Jason invited himself into the Hades cabin with a tray of breakfast for Nico. Nico ignored him until he turned on the light and sat on the bed. 

"Nico, I know something happened between you and Will. You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to, but you haven't eaten in several days," Jason said. "I know you need time by yourself, but you can't hide in the dark forever." 

"Jason, go away!" Nico snapped, turning towards the wall and pulling the blanket over his head. 

"Fine. I can sit here in silence, but I'm not leaving until you eat," Jason retorted. He tried to remain calm, but Nico's mood was irritating him. After a moment he added, "You don't have to tell me what's going on but I noticed that you're generally happier when you do."

Reluctantly Nico sat up and took the bowl of porridge. He ate in silence while Jason watched intently. Fifteen minutes later the bowl was empty. 

He expected Jason to leave soon after, but when he didn't he finally spoke. "Why do you care about me so much anyway?" He asked. 

Jason rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Nico, we've been over this before. I'm your friend. You don't have to tell me anything, but if you do you can trust me ."

"I'm just the shy guy who creeped you out out until you found out my deep, dark secret. Then you became overprotective."

Jason cringed at how honest those words were. "Yeah, I guess you can say that. I just want you to be happy," he sighed. 

Jason sat down on the bed and ruffled Nico's hair. Nico was slightly unsettled by how similar the gesture was to Will cuddling his head, but he didn't object because his feelings towards Jason were strictly platonic. 

"It was Drew Tanaka," he finally said. Jason looked at him confused. "She got in the way of me and Will. He wasn't cheating exactly, but he didn't tell her to go away either. She charmspoke him and they danced at Chiron's party. It wasn't sexual or anything, but still…" Nico turned away, it was depressing how easily one person ruined the his life. 

"Nico, it's okay," Jason said patting him on the back. "Every relationship has its ups and downs. There was tension on the Argo between every couple there. Things can work out, but shutting yourself away won't make it happen." 

"If your advice is to talk to Will it's not going to happen," he mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head so he didn't have to look at his friend's face. Though he hated to admit it, Jason was right once again. 

"Fine. I'll come back and talk to you when you're in a better mood," Jason said leaving the cabin and shutting the door behind him. 

Will's week wasn't much better. He overworked himself, hoping that if he focused enough on his research project his relationship problems would disappear. 

"Will, what is going on?" Kayla finally asked after Will worked 12-hour shifts every day for a week. "I know you're dedicated to your work, but since Chiron's party you have become distant and your social life seems nonexistent now."

"Ah it's nothing. Just the grant I'm working on to get funding from Mt. Olympus to upgrade our X-Ray machines," He answered with false cheerfulness. "Just a lot of work to do in a short time," he added with a sigh. 

"You know, you can tell me if something's bothering you," she said, annoyed. 

"Just going through a hard time with a friend," he muttered, relieved that she didn't ask him to elaborate. 

"Take the rest of the day off. You need a break," she said. Kayla knew that his 'friend problem' had to do with Nico. Ever since Will returned with him half dead in the strawberry fields two weeks ago she suspected there was a little more than friendship going on. Based on the way Will didn't leave Nico's side while he was recovering during his breaks and how they held hands under the table at dinner when they thought no one was looking, Kayla had a solid theory going. 

Will reluctantly gave Kayla the folder and went to go find Piper. He always went to her for relationship advice. He trusted her, didn't laugh like Lou Ellen or Cecil would, and though she denies it she has that trademarked Aphrodite charm. 

Will took a slight detour to go by the Hades cabin. He figured he might as well knock on the door one more time before finding Piper. He walked up the steps and raised the skull shaped knocker for the third time that day. "Please, I know you're in there. Come ob, I need to talk to you. You can't hide forever," he called through the heavy door. As usual, he got no response. "I still love you," he added. Still no response. 

Will's heart sank even lower. He had so many memories, not just of Nico but of the cabin itself. It was the place he helped redecorate, the place where he saw Nico shirtless for the first time, now a place where he was no longer welcome. 

"Hey Piper. I need more advice," Will said solemnly. "Me and Nico had a fight. Hell, I don't even know if we broke up or not. I just want to get back together," he sighed. 

"Okay, this is where my Aphrodite powers get a little hazy, but I'll try my best. So what happened and what you tried already to fix it?" Piper said. 

"I been trying to get him to come out of his cabin, by telling him I'm sorry and that I love him, both of which are true. Please Piper, things need to get better between us," he said desperately. 

"Nico probably still wants you. He's just needs some space. Slip him a sweet note or two, but don't try to bang down his door twice a day," she said. Will felt kind of stupid for letting his desperate feelings get the best of him. He heard Nico, a typically solitary person, say he needed space, but he didn't listen. And he felt horrible about it, doing exactly what he was asked not to do. 

"Thanks. What should I write him though?" Will asked. 

"Not a cheesy love letter. Just a note showing that you care. He'll like it and he'll talk to you when he's ready," Piper said. Will thought her idea was actually pretty good, now he just needed to make it work. 

Two hours later with the help of Piper Will slipped a piece of stationary 'from the desk of Dr. William Solace' under Nico's door. 

"You think it's good enough?" he asked nervously. In an ideal world, Nico would find the letter, write a sweet reply, and then they would hug and get back together, but Will knew it would be more like him slip the letter under the door, have it be ignored for several hours, crumpled up and recycled by Nico, and die of embarrassment from even thinking a letter was a good idea. 

"Of course it is, what's the worst that can happen?" Piper laughed. "You know it's really nice of you to do this. Seeking forgiveness in a non-invasive way is a major component of healthy relationships. Yes, your letter was a little heavy, but I think it's going to work." Will rolled his eyes, but he knew she right. Several months ago Piper tried to distance herself from Aphrodite as much as possible; now she decided to channel her inner love goddess and start giving advice. 

"He could ignore me forever and fade away into the Underworld." Will's note didn't end up being as sweet as he envisioned it to be. It pointed out his flaws, which was risky territory, but Piper said that with the context it only seemed appropriate. 

"But is he really? No. You'll be fine. See you later, Will," with that Piper platonically ruffled his hair and walked away. 

Nico tried to ignore the note tied with ribbon that was slipped under his door. He knew it was from and he knew what it said. He rolled over in his bed to face the wall, but eventually curiosity got the best of him and he went and picked it up. 

He carefully untied the ribbon and opened the letter. It was written in a formal style in Will's doctor scrawl that was a weird mix of print and cursive. Not the best thing for his dyslexia but he got through it okay. 

Dear Nico, 

Hey, I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be too. There's no denying it, you're a hot-tempered person. Not saying that's a bad thing either, though you don't think so, you're actually pretty good at showing your feelings. I love it when you're happy and having fun. It's attractive and I wonder how I have been lucky enough to end up with you. But you also have a dark side. I do too. We all do. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's only natural that we get mad once in a while. But when you do, I just you would listen. I listen to your concerns and your side of the argument. I'm not going to get into the whole Drew thing right now, but I'm just asking you to do the same for me. 

I know you need space and time, but when you're ready come out of your cabin and we can talk. We don't have to get back together, but I would feel better if I could tell you my side of the story. I want a happy ending, I really do, we just need to do what it takes to get there. I have to you this so many times before, but I love you Nico, I really do. 

Love, Will 

P.S. I hope you're eating enough and staying in good health. 

Nico was in tears by the end of the letter and crying was not something he did often. For the first time since Bianca died, or ever really, he felt really truly wanted. Dating Will was great, but having him come back and say he still cares was something else. It was his first time ever falling in love, and it was far from flawless, but he never really accepted his flaws. It was Will who made him feel happy about himself, it was with Will that he finally felt like a complete person. Like that myth with the people split in two was finally coming true, revealing it's hidden side with non heterosexual relationships. He didn't know if it actually did or not, but with Will he came pretty darn close. He didn't know if it was the brutal honesty of the letter or simply that he missed Will, but he found the motivation to get out of bed and go to the dining hall for lunch. 

"Hi Nico," Jason said cheerfully bumping into Nico in the pavilion. He became a little more serious when he saw his gloomy face, "So did you, like, work things out with Will yet?"

Nico turned away and sighed. "No. He wrote me an apology letter, it's a little harsh, honestly. I want to forgive him but I can't." He appreciated that Jason wasn't prying into the details of their feud. 

Jason rested a hand on his shoulder. "You need to stop holding grudges. I know it will be hard, but start with lightening up life as a whole. We're all flawed, you just need to see past it," he said. 

Nico considered his words. There was no denying that Jason was right, but his advice seemed unachievable at the moment. There was a boatload of stress on his shoulders and 99% of it was Will. Suddenly talking to him didn't seem like such a good idea. "You know, I think I'll head back to my cabin now…" he trailed off. "Do you think Will will be at lunch?"

"Nico. Will will be there, you know him, he never skips meals. And you're not going to either. You don't need to get all personal with him in the public setting, but at least sat hi." Jason grabbed his wrist and marched him to the dining hall. 

"He's with the Apollo kids over there in the buffet line," Jason whispered, subtly pointing him out. "Go say hi to him. Besides, it won't hurt to have a salad."

Nico cringed; there was no way he was getting out of this. Reluctantly, he grabbed his plate and awkwardly walked over to the salad bar. "Um, hi Will?" He said questioningly. Yep, this was awkward. He noticed Will sneaking glances at him, but looking unsure about saying anything. Now here he was, piling radishes on to his plate, which he didn't even like, and bracing himself self for rejection. Will hung back after his siblings sat down. 

"Nico. So, I'll take it you got the letter. Okay look, that letter was embarrassing to write and a little cheesy, but it was true. I really want to be with you again, being alone sucks, and I know you need space and time, but I'm not going to emotionally invest myself if you're going to just shut yourself away," Will said. 

Nico closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Will, I do too. Maybe we could... No, I'll… Lets just talk," he said. 

"Like right now?" He asked. Nico nodded. "Let's at least go somewhere a little more private." Will gently grabbed his wrist and lead him down to the lake. Nico didn't realize how much he missed his touch, and he longed for more of it, but then again it was Will and he didn't trust Will anymore. 

"So I assume you want to know what happened with Drew at the dance? Well, the answers nothing. Glad we got that out of the way," Will said. Nico was still glaring at him with his arms crossed. "Nico, I know you don't believe me, but she pressured me, using charmspeak into dancing with her. I never had feelings for her. You know I didn't!"

"Will, this isn't really about Drew anymore. She's dating a Roman now. It's that you became all distant with me and didn't really do anything to fix it. I know you tried, it just didn't work." Nico felt horrible for saying that, but he knew Will would understand. It needed to get said. 

Will leaned in for a hug an Nico surprisingly returned it. "I'm sorry."

They stood there for a moment, just leaning against each other until Will spoke. "What we go to the boardwalk this Saturday? Dinner and a nice evening together. It could be a make up date for the time we missed. We'll take things slowly."

"I don't know, I'll think about it," Nico said. Yes, he did want to get back together with him, but he wasn't quite ready for a date. 

Will's heart sank, but he didn't let it show. "Well, we'll just hang out when you're ready," he said in the most cheerful voice he could muster. He pulled Nico in for another hug and whispered, " We'll talk later," in his ear. 

"I'll go back to my cabin now," Nico said, his emotions almost getting the best of him, but he managed to keep them under control. He ran to his cabin, not caring that he never got a chance to eat, he didn't even look like a back at Will. He knew he would break down crying if he did and that would be too much. It wasn't until he flopped on his bed did he let the tears flow. He couldn't even remember the last time he truly cried. He might have shed a tear when Bianca died or when Percy fell into Tartarus, but when someone actually cared enough seek forgiveness, he let it all out. 

Will was heartbroken when he watched Nico run back to his cabin. It felt worse that a flat out rejection. He still had a little morsel of hope, but it was so small it might as well been nothing. Will knew that Nico has trouble expressing his feelings from being so deeply closeted for so many years, but having him run off in shame and embarrassment hit a little close to home. "Bye Nico," he whispered blinking tears out of his eyes. "I'll still be there Saturday."

Nico had horrendous nightmares that night. He was reliving going through Tartarus alone, getting bullied for his sexuality when he was younger, and Bianca dying. Suddenly he decided he couldn't take it anymore. He woke up in his bed in Hades' palace. 

Nico had no desire to return to camp, that is until Hades walked into the room, his dark demeanor filling the room. Nico immediately knew why he was here. 

"What do you want, father?" He snapped. 

"For a moment there I thought the Apollo boy actually turned you into an agreeable person," Hades muttered. He turned and faced him son. "I like seeing you happy, my children go through a lot, so it's a rare experience. I'm no Aphrodite, but I not going to let your love life make you suicidal."

"Since when do you get to make decisions for me? It may be a death for you but it's my life," Nico yelled, trying and failing to keep his temper. "And that stuff about happiness, you got Hazel!"

"Nico, you know my reputation among the gods… I don't want it to be the same for you. I'm not the best parent but I care about my children," Hades confessed. "Will has good intentions, if you let it, things will end well."

Nico turned away in disgust. Yes, his father was right, but he still found disturbing that a God of death was giving advice about love and happiness. "How do you know about Will anyway? I don't remember telling you," he spat. 

"The gods have special stalking powers."

Nico was thoroughly creeped out and tried to shadow travel away, but Hades block fading out of the room and bounced back to his bed. "Let me go!" He said aggressively. 

"I'll let you go if you take Will's offer to go to the boardwalk. Or if you help me dispose of lost souls," Hades smirked. 

"Fine. I'll go," Nico whined. Doing his father's job meant a week in literal Hell. He concentrated and landed back in his bunk at Camp Half-Bloof. 

Will tried to put on a smile as he walked back into the emptying dining hall. Jason caught his eye and mouthed 'what happened to Nico?' but he just shrugged and walked away. Yes, he was still going to go to the boardwalk and hope Nico shows up, but no, he was not going to talk about his feelings with Jason, who was really only an acquaintance. 

On Saturday evening Will, with a button down shirt and tie, knocked on Nico's door. "Please Nico," he begged, "let's just talk okay? The boardwalk will be fun…" Nico suddenly stepped out of his cabin wearing his usual casual black attire. 

"You know being forced into this," he said, crossing his arms. 

"No you're not," Will cooed. "It's entirely up to you whether you want to come or not." Will was getting the impression that he was being too dominant in their relationship. 

"If only my father had the same views as you," he muttered. "Let's just go."

Will tried to engage Nico in small talk on the way to the car, but neither of were into it. There were bigger issues looming over them. 

"Let's just get to the point," Will said, leaning against the car that he was borrowing (thanks to Piper). "You have every right to hate me forever, but it still means a lot that you came." 

Nico gave an incoherent murmur. 

"Anyway, before we go, just hear me out," Will gestured to the bench nearby and they sat down, not quite touching. "So you want to know what happened with Drew? I told you it's nothing, but I realized you want proof. You could just take my word for it, but you being a demigod, who is less trustworthy than the average person, are skeptical, which is reasonable.

"This isn't about Drew, it's about me not standing up for myself and being honest about my sexuality. The world is a tough place if you're different, you know this, and you and Piper were my safe haven. Outside of it, I really don't know. To get to the point, I regret not telling her outright. I haven't talked to her since the dance if you were wondering," he continued, venting all the feelings he accumulated over the past few weeks. Nico reached an arm around him and a tear slipped down his cheek. 

Nico couldn't help but feel sympathy. "The worlds' not as homophobic as you think it is..." He said softly. "At least not at camp. It took me a while to realize it too." 

Will leaned into Nico and he squeezed him tighter. "Yeah, I know. It's still scary though," he admitted, starting to cry. "It's like I'm okay being out in public, but as soon as someone I know is around, things feel different…"

Nico was slightly mad at himself for letting Will get so close when he still had resentful feelings for him, but he couldn't help but feel forgiveness. Several months ago he was in the same boat, but worse off because he had no friends. Will kept on talking. 

"Sorry Nico," he whispered. "I don't actually want to go to the boardwalk anymore," he added, lightening up. 

"Let's just stay here," Nico said. "It's too late anyway."

Will got up and walked over to the car. He opened the trunk and pulled out a bouquet of roses and presented them to Nico. "You know I planned a cheesy romantic evening. Fancy dinner and everything, but then I realized it's what neither of us wanted. Nico di Angelo, will you forgive me?"

"Already have," he said honestly, a little surprised at how easy it was for him to say that. Nico took the flowers and went in for a hug, which quickly turned into a kiss. But this kiss was different. Though it was tentative, it had more emotion than any of their previous ones. It felt like there was a history behind it; not just the two gay guys who felt obliged to date each other and eventually fall in love. "Are we good?" He asked. Will nodded. 

They sat back down and sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company and making up for the lost time. Right before they parted one more kiss was exchanged and they walked back to the cabins for the first time in weeks holding hands. 

The next few weeks were nice but uneventful. They were together in private, friends in public, still a little wary of being 'discovered'. Jason and Piper both expressed their gratitude and relief when they found out their friends were dating again. Nico and Will left camp occasionally, and made out in the infirmary when no one was around. Overall, they were happy. 

"Hey Death Boy," Will smirked as Nico walked into the Apollo cabin. 

"I'll break up with you if you call me that again," the son of Hades threatened. 

"No you won't," he replied pulling Nico over to sit down on his bed. "You love me too much." It was true so Nico only shrugged. 

"No ones home right?" Nico asked cautiously. 

"We'll be fine," Will moaned in annoyance. "They're all in the infirmary. My siblings have no reason to be here in the middle of the day." Not entirely satisfied, Nico kissed him anyway. 

Will kissed him deeply for the first time since they got back together and he gently placed his hands up Nico's shirt. "I missed you. It's nice to be together again," he whispered pulling away, but still clasping his hips. 

"Hey Will! Where are the extra scrubs? There's a shortage in the infirmary," Kayla's voice suddenly sounded as she pounded on the door. 

"Uh, there should be some in the storage closet," Will answered. Kayla must not have heard him because the door was promptly banged down. 

"I already checked... Oh!" She gasped. Will was sitting on boyfriend's lap, undoing his belt while Nico ran his fingers through his hair. "Am I interrupting something?" She said awkwardly, failing to hide her shock. 

"You said no one was going to be around," Nico hissed. 

"Hey! Don't blame me. I didn't know she was coming," Will whispered back. 

"I'll leave now," Nico said, getting off the bed. He waved goodbye to Kayla but Will pulled his arm back. 

"Wait," Will said. "Kayla, this is Nico. You might have seen him around camp. You could say we're together..." He added tentatively. 

"If you're going to be honest you might as well tell her everything," Nico said glaring at his boyfriend. 

Kayla, who had remained silent through this exchange suddenly spoke up, "So, are you two... dating?"

Will sighed. "We are. This was not our preferred method of coming out, so don't tell anyone. The scrubs are in the laundry room if you still need them. Come on Nico." With that Will grabbed Nico's hand and marched out of the cabin. Kayla watched them in shock, but then she smiled happy her brother found someone. Nico was a little creepy, but he seemed nice enough. 

"Thank the gods it was only Kayla," Nico said. They were in the Hades cabin where it was guaranteed no one would walk in on them. 

"Yeah, it was nice that it was a sibling, but I've been doing some thinking," Will said sitting on Nico's lap. "Her reaction was good enough, the shock you expect from today's society was still there. I decided I want to come out to everyone. Soon."

"Oh!" Nico gasped. "I see your reasoning, but isn't your close friends knowing enough?" 

Will kissed him on the cheek. "Yeah, but it still feels like I'm hiding a major part of my life. I'm not going to go around advertising it or make a huge deal out of it. I just want people to know." 

"You know what? Jason was right. Let's just go for it," Nico said. 

Two days later they decide to sit at the Apollo table. "Family first" Will said. The plan was to casually sit down together, not touching or anything and wait for someone to bring it up. Surely someone would, Will argued when Nico proposed flat out telling them. People might have been suspicious for a while, I know we tried to stay outside of the way, but we were kinda lax about it in New Rome, he reasoned. Bottom line: Be chill about it. 

They filed in with the rest of the camp. 

"You sure about this?" Nico whispered. 

"They're going to find out eventually. Might as well be now," Will replied. 

After making their sacrifices to the gods, Will started with his hand lingering on Nico's arm after he brushed a crumb away. Nobody noticed. He was hoping the topic would come up naturally. Will wasn't too keen to interrupt a happy meal with a sensitive subject. 

A few minutes later, Nico looked at Will for approval and casually wrapped his arm around his waist. A few minutes after that Will noticed a younger sibling, who around 8 years old, whisper something to his friend. It was pretty clear it was about them. 

After another minute of whispering one of them finally worked up the nerve to say something. "Sorry I forgot his name, but why is the Son of Hades sitting at our table?" He asked Will, somewhat rudely. 

"Here it goes," Will sighed to Nico, nudging him under the table. 

"His name is Nico. He's my boyfriend. And he's sitting with us because I want him here and he would be alone at the Hades table," Will said way less confidently than he wanted to. He rushed over the 'He's my boyfriend' part, but it still felt good to say it. 

The younger Apollo campers, who were inexperienced with love and haven't been exposed to modern politics very much, looked confused yet happy. "So he's your boyfriend, meaning you're in love and going to get married? Because my mom has a boyfriend, cause obviously things with Apollo didn't work out, and they're going to get married next summer.," One of the them asked. 

Will ruffled his younger brothers hair and served him a slice of cake. Nico did the same to Will. "You got the first part right, but marriage is a little far on the horizon. It depends on where we are too," Nico explained. 

"Well, I like it. You seem happier with him around, Will," his brother said. Will and Nico smiled at him and resumed eating. He may not have fully understood their relationship and how society viewed them, but his support was all that mattered. 

One of Will's sisters, who was only a year younger, than him tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping or anything, but I overheard your conversation and just wanted to tell you that I think you're cute together. If anyone says otherwise just know that I'm on your side," she said warmly. 

"Thanks," Will said. His confidence grew and he wrapped an arm around Nico in an obviously romantic way. 

It felt like a huge burden has been lifted from both of their shoulders. They were lucky they got a positive reaction, but both Will and Nico knew that if they didn't they would have each other for support. Will no longer felt like he couldn't show affection for Nico around peers. Nico didn't see a reason to hide in the shadows anymore. Word spread throughout the Apollo table. There was some confusion, some surprise, but everyone was pretty chill about. No one was shouting it from the rooftops or showing obvious disapproval. To Nico, the world changed for the better since the 1930's, even if it meant he was a little behind the times. 

"So, how are you?" Will asked a few minutes later. "Feel any different?" 

Nico, not usually one to talk about his feelings, answered, "Happier, freer I guess." 

Will playfully leaned into him and draped an arm around his shoulders. "Come on Nico, I know you're doing great. It's something about the way you hold yourself when you're happy. Want to go down to the lake after this?"

"Sounds good." 

Will grabbed Nico's hand without a second thought as they walked down to dock. Jason and Percy were there hanging out and having a contest to see who could create the largest waves with their godly powers. Percy was winning by a landslide. 

"Um, Jason, Percy. You know people are actually planning on using the lake," Will said. "We were going to take out a canoe some younger campers wanted to have a swim party later."

Jason exchanged an awkward with Percy. "You know the water nymphs probably aren't too happy that we disturbed their peace. It's advisable to stay off the water for now."

"Hey, we were actually doing work for the camp before we decided to have a little fun," Percy interjected. 

Will and Nico were about to leave but Jason kept talking. "Hey, if you don't mind, can you help us clean up?" Nico rolled his eyes but grabbed a broom anyway. 

"So how was breakfast?" Percy asked, brushing away a piece of kelp he washed up. 

"Well Will's cabin found out about us, you know, dating," Nico said looking at Jason, figuring that he deserved to know the latest updates in his personal life. It wasn't exactly fair to keep secrets when he helped him accept himself. 

Jason smiled. "Oh! how'd that go?" He then looked at Percy as if he wasn't sure if it was okay to discuss the personal matter in front of him. When Percy nodded his head, Jason stepped forward and caught Nico and Will in a group hug. 

"Everyone was pretty nice about it," Will said. "It feels like you have a new kind of freedom once you're out. We're not really pressured to hide anything anymore." 

Nico liked Will's deep answer but he still felt the need to add on, "It helped that we did it together. In a way it was killing two birds with one stone."

"I said this before, but I'm still happy for you guys," Jason said. "Happy that you found each other, happy that others accept you, but mostly I'm glad that you can be yourselves." Both Will and Nico blushed at his cheesiness, but it was heartwarming all the same. 

"Honestly, being closeted felt safe, but it wasn't satisfying," Nico added. 

Percy, who had been sitting on the sidelines, suddenly joined the conversation. "So, Nico do you still find me cute though you're over me? I liked feeling loved," he said as if Annabeth wasn't enough. 

All three of the other demigods rolled their eyes and Nico nearly died of embarrassment. "You cute, but Will's cuter," he said kissing him on the cheek. 

Jason let out an "Ooohhhh" and Nico took the opportunity to leave the scene. Will was disappointed that they never got around to canoeing, but making out in the Hades cabin was just as fun. 

A few days later, Nico and Will were sitting on a bench in pavilion together, laughing and playfully teasing. Drew walked by and they didn't give her a second glance. Then she turned around and cleared her throat loudly, making it impossible to ignore her. "So I heard you guys are dating."

Wow, that was abrupt, Will thought, but he wasn't all that surprised. They were publicly out and not everyone was going love them. Regardless he held his head high and looked her in the eye when he answered. "Yeah. We have been for several months now."

"Oh Will," she cooed. "Why didn't you tell me? I was actually serious about dating you." Nico gagged as she said this. His bad habit of holding grudges wasn't going away anytime soon. He and Will exchanged an awkward glance. 

"Well… honestly, we weren't sure how people would react. Or if our relationship would last," Will said. 

"Of course I still think that we would be cute together. But you guys are adorable. See you around Will!" She said blowing a kiss to him before running off. Will just rolled his eyes and squeezed Nico's hand. 

Nico shrugged. "What have I been telling you since that first day in the infirmary? Daughter of a love goddess; might as well be Aphrodite herself, she'll support anyone."

"Fine. You were right. I'll admit I should have told her myself earlier," Will admitted. Nico just smirked and leaned in closer.

At the campfire that night, Will grabbed his hand and turned to kiss him full on the lips. No one gave them a second glance. All they saw was a happy couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might do an epilogue, if I get a good idea for one. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Yes, I know the ending was predictable and cliche, but I wanted ti to be cute and happy.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews with constructive criticism are encouraged because they help make the later chapters better. Thanks for reading!


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